According to the Sunshine Coast RCMP first-quarter report, in total, police dealt with 895 files in Sechelt in Q1 of 2025, compared to 785 during the same time in 2024.
That total includes 131 property crime files over the past four months, the exact number as was dealt with in 2024.
Property crime includes arson, auto and bike thefts, mischief to property, theft from auto, theft from mail, shoplifting and more. There were six reports of bike theft this year, compared to zero from 2024, and 24 complaints of theft from auto compared to 17 in 2024, but files regarding breaking and entering into a business were down from 17 in 2024 to seven in 2025.
And, while drug possession was down from seven to two, drug trafficking was up from four to five in Q1 2025. As well, suspicious occurrences were up from 85 to 109. Domestic violence complaints were up from nine to 20, while well-being checks were up from 49 to 65.
Meanwhile, the total of “other occurrences,” which includes impaired driving and missing persons, went up from 479 in 2024 to 572 in 2025, while “other” criminal code offences rose to 87 from 80 in total.
Public safety/crime reduction
The Q1 report notes continued collaboration with provincial probation services has demonstrated a “strong commitment to open information sharing, which has meant timely updates on individuals on probation conditions and potential community concerns that [let] our members be informed when curfew checks are deemed necessary.”
The partnership allows police to have more targeted enforcement and improved member safety, the report continues. It adds, the collaborative efforts of District of Sechelt bylaw officers and sanitation workers, Vancouver Coastal Health and Sunshine Coast RCMP have continued with twice weekly visits to the tent encampment on and around Hightide Avenue.
Police visibility
The report notes foot and bike patrols continue to provide police and the public with an informal means to interact. The report adds, feedback has been positive from business owners and other members of the community on the benefits of uniform police officers on foot in the downtown core, so proactive, as well as general patrols, will continue. This quarter, there were 32 proactive foot and bike patrols in Sechelt.
Restorative justice
The Sunshine Coast RCMP detachment continues to develop a strong working relationship with the Restorative Justice Program of the Sunshine Coast (RJPSC). This non-profit organization is completely separate from the RCMP, receives no government funding and relies on grants and donations for their operations.
RCMP Staff Sergeant Jennifer Prunty is now on the RJPSC board of directors, and the report adds, the detachment is committed to ensuring files that would benefit from this alternative approach to justice are directed to the program.
According to the report, the program “frees up valuable court resources, reduces recidivism, provides an opportunity for the person(s) affected by crime to have a voice, ensures accountability of the alleged offender and builds stronger, more resilient relationships within our community.”
The RJPSC team is composed of trained community members dedicated to ensuring that both parties in a conflict are supported through a structured, fair and compassionate process. Every referral to the program requires consent of all parties involved and an admission of wrongdoing by the alleged offender.
Staffing news
All civilian and police positions continue to be filled at Sunshine Coast Detachment. At this time, the detachment has seven people off on authorized leave, including parental and sick time, and is awaiting the transfer in of two constables to front-line positions.
