Sunshine Coast RCMP say they’ve seen a significant reduction in some crime stats for Gibsons.
Sgt. Steve Chubey was before council April 19 to deliver the detachment’s quarterly report. He said calls are down 17 per cent overall compared to January to March 2015, with a 31 per cent drop in property crimes (mainly B&Es and thefts from vehicles), and a 50 per cent drop in criminal code offences. There were, however, more calls about bylaw infractions than 2015.
Chubey noted that calls for violations of the Liquor Act, like being intoxicated in public, have also dropped off.
He also told council the detachment is getting into summer mode and preparing to change the focus of foot patrols, for example, to put more emphasis on areas where beach parties have been a problem in past years. Being more visible in the Town over the summer, including more speeding enforcement and checks at bars, helps get the message out to locals and tourists that police are watching, he said.
Mayor Wayne Rowe used the opportunity to gauge the RCMP’s interest in exploring an idea that came up during a meeting with the Sunshine Coast Community Services Society.
Rowe said the society is looking to institute a program to mediate neighbour disputes through “peace circles.”
“Personally I’m very encouraged by this potential project. I hope they get the word out and get some people trained,” he said.
Chubey agreed that RCMP would also see some value in such a program.
While neighbour dispute calls are not frequent, he said, “when they do happen, the complaints take up a lot of our resources and we’re limited in what we can do other than criminal charges or to try to mediate it.”
