Improving relations with minority groups is a priority for Prince George RCMP Superintendent Shaun Wright heading into 2021.
2020 has been a wild one, to say the least, due to the pandemic as well as social tensions that occurred following the death of George Floyd, which led to a Black Lives Matter rally being held in the northern capital this year.
Wright told MyPGNow.com their staff numbers are pretty healthy but the detachment would like to add one more piece.
“Organizationally, we could use an addition around training and development. There has been a lot of push in the media and socially to increase our skill set in dealing with certain groups particularly mental health and some disadvantaged groups.”
Since the start of the pandemic, the Prince George RCMP has seen an 8% uptick in the number of domestic violence calls.
This comes after property and violent crime dipped between 10 and 3% respectively this year.
“The domestic violence unit here is integrated with numerous partner agencies and we work hand in hand on a daily basis like the Elizabeth Fry Society and several other crisis centres and we are well in tune with that trying to respond to the rise in service in that regard,” added Wright.
In addition, despite, designated driver services like Operation Red Nose and Keys Please not operating, Wright doesn’t anticipate impaired driving to be an issue this holiday season.
“It is definitely a concern for us but we are finding people are staying home and they are not going out to establishments in the same manner as they once did, Christmas parties are cancelled and even social gatherings are discouraged.”
“I think this year, we will see a dip in those numbers due to a lot of establishments being closed.”
As for where police officers are in the pecking to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, Wright stated they are not too far down the list.
“We are somewhere around the third tier with first responders essentially after health care workers and some at-risk elderly groups. We would be included with firefighters and ambulance at that time.”
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