3305 replies to this topic

[pontcanna]

RCMP administer naloxone, save woman's life

West Shore

2023-02-27 - File: #2023-3788

On February 26, the West Shore RCMP were called to a business on the 700 block of Goldstream Avenue to a report of a woman who locked herself in a public restroom for some time and was not responding to staff.

Officers arrived and were able to quickly access the restroom, finding the woman slumped over the toilet unresponsive with a faint pulse. There was evidence of drug paraphernalia strewn about.

Officers recognized the signs of overdose and immediately administered two doses of Naloxone to the woman, who began to wake up and became more responsive. The woman was monitored by police until Emergency Health Services arrived and transported her to hospital for further treatment. The woman is expected to recover.

We want to thank both the business staff and RCMP officers for their quick actions which resulted in the woman’s life being saved.

For more information on how to recognize and respond to an overdose, please visit: Overdose prevention and response - Province of British Columbia
 
Released by

Cst. Andrew Matheson
Media Relations Officer
West Shore RCMP

[Nparker]

RCMP administer naloxone, postpone woman's death.

[Mike K.]

Fentanyl is now so common and blasé in terms of its effects, that it is being cut with a tranquilizer that gives users an even stronger high, for hours at a time. Except naloxone is no longer effective against overdoses as a result of using that cocktail. It's called tranq, and it's appearing on the west coast now after being on the east coast for a while.

[Victoria Watcher]

Police board says it won’t follow suit after Victoria looks to reduce budget hike

 

9.55 per cent increase pitched by police board, city aims for inflation-matching plan

 

https://www.vicnews....ce-budget-hike/

[pontcanna]

‘Big bang’ on Friday night was controlled explosion by police, after all

The bang heard in Victoria, Saanich and Langford late Friday was reportedly so loud that it shook windows.

Updated: A loud bang heard throughout much of Greater Victoria on Friday night — so loud it rattled houses in Saanich — was the result of a controlled explosion overseen by police at the Saanich Public Works Yard on McKenzie Avenue.

Due to a mix-up, Saanich police initially said they were not involved in the noise, but issued a statement Tuesday explaining what happened.

Officers with the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team who helped with a high-risk arrest in Victoria on Friday found explosives during a search of a residence, said Saanich police spokesman Markus Anastasiades in the statement.

The seized explosives were destroyed in the Saanich Public Works Yard at 1040 McKenzie Ave. at 10:30 p.m. Friday.

The emergency response team notified Saanich police about what they were doing before destroying the explosives, but because a police file wasn’t generated at the time, and the operation wasn’t performed by Saanich police, Anastasiades said he wasn’t initially made aware of the incident.

 

More: https://www.timescol...answers-6621781

 

[Victoria Watcher]

Officers determined the explosive items needed to be destroyed immediately, he said.

 

 

Were they ticking?

 

The seized explosives were destroyed in the Saanich Public Works Yard at 1040 McKenzie Ave. at 10:30 p.m. Friday.

 

 

Of course, that's the best time/day for such explosions.

 

“The explosives detonated were louder than usual, which [was] heard and felt by several residents in Saanich. These residents did call our non-emergency police line and spoke to an officer, who explained the situation to them,” Anastasiades said.

 

 

Louder than "usual"?  Louder than the regular run-of-the-mill detonation of explosives?

 

The emergency response team notified Saanich police about what they were doing before destroying the explosives, but because a police file wasn’t generated at the time, and the operation wasn’t performed by Saanich police, Anastasiades said he wasn’t initially made aware of the incident.

 

 

Who's on first?  Literal keystone cops.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 March 2023 - 07:27 AM.

[pontcanna]

RCMP struggles with hundreds of job vacancies

The Globe and Mail (BC Edition) 2 Mar 2023

Pandemic slowed down the process of training new Mounties to replace those who were retiring

The RCMP in British Columbia are struggling with hundreds of job vacancies in their ranks that are impacting investigations and delaying call response times, both in rural areas and in the 65 larger communities the force is responsible for policing.

A Library of Parliament report released at the end of January shows that the RCMP had 813 empty positions across the country in June, 2022 – 460 of them in B.C. The force confirmed last week that the overall totals remain roughly the same.

The numbers don’t include the “soft” vacancies caused when Mounties take extended leave for family or health reasons. The force’s Ottawa headquarters could not provide the number of RCMP officers in B.C. on that type of leave but said in a statement that as of the end of January there were 905 Mounties on off-duty sick leave of more than six months, nationwide. That is roughly 6.5 per cent of the number of RCMP officers contracted to police municipalities, and rural parts of provinces and territories.

The RCMP said they had to contend with the impact of the pandemic, which slowed the training of new Mounties to replace retiring ones. The force added that it has overhauled its application process and is ramping up training of new recruits to alleviate the staffing crunch. It also noted a recent commitment from B.C. Premier David Eby to add 277 more Mounties over the next three years.

But critics say the vacancies mean Mounties are significantly delayed in responding to non-violent 911 calls in some cities, forcing officers on shift to react to emergencies rather than investigate more complex cases, such as those involving organized crime.

 

More: https://globe2go.pre...281608129637787

 

[Victoria Watcher]

end of January there were 905 Mounties on off-duty sick leave of more than six months, nationwide. That is roughly 6.5 per cent of the number of RCMP officers contracted to police municipalities, and rural parts of provinces and territories.

 

 

This is a problem.

[Mike K.]

We might find ourselves having to explore the sheriff-deputy system used down in the states, for rural communities. There may not be a need for a fully trained RCMP officer to push paper in rural posts, far from where they’re from or want to work, if there are locals who can perform much of the job requirements.

[Ismo07]

We might find ourselves having to explore the sheriff-deputy system used down in the states, for rural communities. There may not be a need for a fully trained RCMP officer to push paper in rural posts, far from where they’re from or want to work, if there are locals who can perform much of the job requirements.

 

That used to be a way for young folks to gain seniority to move along in the system.

[LJ]

We might find ourselves having to explore the sheriff-deputy system used down in the states, for rural communities. There may not be a need for a fully trained RCMP officer to push paper in rural posts, far from where they’re from or want to work, if there are locals who can perform much of the job requirements.

Sheriff and deputies are fully trained and licensed professionals in the US, same as DPS and highway patrol.

Around Phoenix there are about 26 munis that have their own police department and the Sheriff's department can operate in any one of them.

[Mike K.]

They’re appointed by an elected sheriff, and can commonly train after being hired.

It’s a different process than what the RCMP currently do, taking people from across the country, training them to be a constable, and then fitting them into positions across the country, forcing members to criss cross Canada until eventually they can settle down somewhere.

[Victoria Watcher]

Victoria police chief tells council why 9.6% budget increase is needed

 

Chief Del Manak told Victoria council Thursday the VicPD is doing everything it can to ensure community safety despite being short on personnel and being asked to do more than ever.

 

https://www.timescol...-needed-6641442

 

 

 

 

He told council the force, which has an authorized strength of 255 officers, has several significant job vacancies and 25 to 35 people off at any given time due to occupational stress or injury.

 

________________________

 

The department did hire 44 people last year — 14 new recruits, 10 experienced officers, four special municipal constables, four jailers and 12 civilians. But Manak said that will have to continue given the anticipated retirement rate.

 

The police chief told council that it’s no secret many ­supportive-housing facilities in the city are home to violent criminals, drug traffickers and people carrying out criminal enterprises, yet he hasn’t seen much from the province’s Safer Communities Action Plan to address that.

 

“There is no thought, in my opinion, that is given to the security and the safety needs of any new facility that opens,” he said. “There’s no discussion around what the impact is going to be on the police or the safety of individuals and the staff running these locations.

 

 

 

 

 

Remember the old days when housing people was going to decrease police staffing requirements?  We were lied to and we all knew it.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 03 March 2023 - 06:18 AM.

[Mike K.]

Those were the good ol days, the pre-fentanyl is legal to use at the beach days, and before there was a cocaine factory in Langley.

[Sparky]

 

Remember the old days when housing people was going to decrease police staffing requirements?  We were lied to and we all knew it.

 

Oh you mean the old cliche "Housing First". 

 

If the social justice warriors were to be honest, it would have been called 

 

"HousingFirst.....Armageddon Later". 

[AllseeingEye]

Had two family members who served long honourable and distinguished careers in the RCMP. Bothers me how very far the org has fallen, it really is a shadow of what it once was. When I was just a young tadpole all of us kids were in awe of the red uniforms and the aura of the organization.

 

Its sometimes difficult to see and read all the online derision and very negative comments from Canadians whenever there is an article on the force on FB and other platforms. It really does need a a re-think, a do-over and major overhaul to remain both relevant and more critically as an effective law enforcement body, not to mention an employer where citizens are eager to join.

 

I ultimately failed to get accepted due to my eyesight but I breezed through all the written exams when I took them in the mid-80's however it took nearly a year just to secure a seat due to competition, limited intake and high demand. Pretty sure that wouldn't be the case today.....

Edited by AllseeingEye, 03 March 2023 - 09:35 AM.

[lanforod]

^ some of the current problems were perhaps caused by that 'aura of the organization' obscuring structural and especially cultural issues long ignored?

[Nparker]

How much is the "fall" of the RCMP due to the organization itself and how much is due to public perception of law enforcement in general in the era of ACAB and defund the police?

[Victoria Watcher]

It’s half the public perception being degraded.

But the other half is the organisations themselves not being bold enough to get rid of the very small amount of poor performers.

In Oak Bay we see another guy that should no longer be a cop, still being a cop. He should be gone.

https://beta.ctvnews...844598.amp.html

These bad actors should not be guaranteed a career. Get rid of them. They can go in to other work.

The poor performance of these few affect the morale and perception by the public of the many.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 03 March 2023 - 09:46 AM.

[Matt R.]

Those were the good ol days, the pre-fentanyl is legal to use at the beach days, and before there was a cocaine factory in Langley.

Fentanyl isn’t legal to use at the beach. Neither is beer.