The new Gibsons community policing office will officially open its doors on Dec. 6, but RCMP members are expected to be moving in around the middle of November, Staff Sgt. Herb Berdahl said this week,
Berdahl announced the date during the Oct. 29 Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) policing committee meeting.
"It's a fantastic building, it's well equipped, and we're looking forward to moving in. It's a good location," Berdahl said.
Located at 737 Sunnycrest Rd. adjacent to the Gibsons and District Community Centre, the $2.3-million design-build project was started in fall 2011. The Town of Gibsons owns the 450-square-metre building and will lease it to the RCMP.
"The lease payment for the RCMP is equal to the debt servicing costs, so there's no cost to taxpayers," said Gibsons director of finance Ian Poole. "The RCMP is paying the full freight."
Replacing the outdated facility on School Road, Poole said the building's exterior design incorporates the "natural wood pillar" theme that has been used in Lower Gibsons.
The new location will have improved public visibility because "it's essentially next door to Sunnycrest Mall," Poole said.
"For the RCMP it's much more central. It's got better access to the highway and ultimately Sunnycrest Road will be extended to Reed Road," he said.
The new community policing office will continue to be staffed 24/7 by eight full-time members, Berdahl said.
The opening ceremony is being planned as "a red serge affair," he added.
Mental Health Act calls on rise
Mental Health Act files are consuming an increasing amount of police time on the Sunshine Coast, Berdahl reported to the policing committee.
From Jan. 1 to Oct. 1, the number of Mental Health Act files jumped by 50 per cent compared to the same period last year, while the detachment's overall call volume decreased by two per cent.
"It's very problematic. It's difficult to put a number on it," Berdahl said.
An internal study conducted during a two-month period found that seven to nine per cent of the detachment's calls were related somehow to mental health, he said.
Each call can take up to four hours of a member's time and "this manpower commitment is significant for a detachment that often covers 80 kilometres with only four general duty members on shift," Berdahl said.
Cpl. Don Newman has been assigned as liaison officer to work closely with Vancouver Coastal Health and Arrowhead Clubhouse Society, and Berdahl said there has been ongoing dialogue with administrators of the new 28-bed treatment and rehabilitation unit in Gibsons.
"We'll just have to wait and see what kind of impact it has on the Sunshine Coast," he said.
Berdahl said he has highlighted the issue for the policing committee because "it's not just a policing problem. We're working towards developing protocols with respect to all our community partners so we know that we're all on the same page."
Musical Ride
It's still not a sure thing, but the chances of the RCMP Musical Ride coming to the Sunshine Coast next year are looking "about 75 per cent."
On Oct. 7, RCMP Musical Ride officials visited the parks and arenas in Gibsons and Sechelt and deemed the venues adequate for a performance, Berdahl said.
While no decision has been made, Berdahl said the Musical Ride reps were optimistic and told him, "It's about 75 per cent you're going to get it."
Both towns are being considered, and in either case, the arena would be used to stable the horses, Berdahl said.
"Those are basically the only facilities large enough that can be modified to meet their needs," he said.
On Oct. 10, Berdahl met with the Sunshine Coast Rotary Club to ask if it would sponsor the event should the Coast be selected as a venue, and the request was well received, he said.
