Local police are busier than ever, setting a record for the most files in a year.
The Campbell River RCMP quietly passed a milestone on Dec. 15, said RCMP Media Liaison officer Const. Maury Tyre.
“For the first time since modern reporting systems have been in place, the Campbell River RCMP surpassed 17,000 files for a year,” Tyre said Friday. “As we enter into Christmas Eve, the Campbell River RCMP has responded to 17,368 calls for service in 2021.”
What this has meant is that local police are busier than ever, said Const. Tyre.
“For the most part our members have weathered the storm well and with a great deal of professionalism. However, a by product of being as busy as police are means that less proactive work can be done by officers as the bulk of their time is dealt with responding to calls and the subsequent investigations those calls create. Effectively that means that there is less time available to prevent crime.”
Keeping the Mounties busy lately were calls like these…
Can’t You Hear Me Knocking?
Not just the title of a Rolling Stones song, but a call for help. At approximately 3 a.m. on Dec. 15, police were flagged down by a male that advised them that someone was stuck in one of the luggage undercarriages of a tour bus parked in the 500 block of 11th Ave.
Apparently the 45-year-old male had sought refuge in the luggage carrier from the weather and closed the door which locked him inside and then fell asleep. When he awoke, he was unable to open the door from the inside and started to knock and make as much noise as possible to gain the attention of limited foot traffic in the area.
Police were attempting to extricate the man from his predicament when a bus driver arrived for work early and was able to unlock the compartment.
“The man was fortunately uninjured and likely will be a little more cautious as his sleeping arrangement could have meant waking up in a totally different community,” Const. Tyre said.
Impaired Driving
On Dec. 17, shortly before 1 a.m., officers were looking for a pickup truck that had been involved in a minor hit and run at an apartment complex on South Dogwood St. late on Dec. 16.
One of the Campbell River RCMP members located the vehicle pulling into the hospital and initiated an impaired driving investigation. The driver, who was belligerent with police, was brought back to the Campbell River RCMP detachment where it was determined that he was already prohibited from driving a vehicle in the province and he refused to participate in the impaired driving investigation.
After the driver was lodged in cells, police found that the man in his rage had defecated in the back seat of the police vehicle.
Police will be seeking Criminal Code charges of Obstruction and Failing to Comply with a Breath Demand as well as a Motor Vehicle Act charge of Driving While Prohibited for a 37-year-old Campbell River man.
What some people refuse to understand, said Const. Tyre, is that refusing to take part in an impaired driving investigation by declining to provide a legally requested breath sample can and does result in the same penalties as if you were to fail a breath test. There are just simply requirements in the Criminal Code and Motor Vehicle Act that have to be followed.
“As for poop in the backseat?” said Tyre. “Sadly, it’s not the first time it’s happened, but we’d really hope it would be the last. For anyone who has been in our backseats, it’s the reason they are so uncomfortable and hard plastic. It’s so they can be properly cleaned and sanitized.”
Winter Driving - Fail to Remain at an Accident Scene
Police were called to a report of a vehicle that had hit a hydro pole near 16th Avenue and Peterson Rd. on Dec. 17, shortly after 9 am.
Witnesses explained that a newer model blue/teal Chevy with a camper on the back had collided with the pole and then fled the scene.
Drivers have a duty under the Motor Vehicle Act to remain at the scene of an accident and report it, said Const. Tyre. Especially when there is significant damage to property involved, any failure to remain on a scene often points to other concerns such as driver impairment. Vehicle owners can face stiff Motor Vehicle Act penalties in these matters as well as civil liability for damages.
Police are actively looking for the vehicle which should be sporting significant front end damage.
Meanwhile, Tyre passed on a seasonal message, “The Campbell River RCMP would like to wish everyone in Campbell River, the We Wai Kai, We Wai Kum, and Homalco First Nations a very safe and happy Christmas Season. Please be safe in the upcoming cold and icy weather and as always if you drink, please don’t drive.”