As the new year begins, we wanted to take a moment to outline some basic information on your local RCMP Detachment and provide some numbers.
The Bowen Island RCMP is part of the Sea To Sky RCMP Regional Detachment which also oversees Pemberton, Whistler, and Squamish. In addition to Bowen Island, we cover Hutt Island, Passage Island, and Bowyer Island. Our detachment consists of one Corporal, two Constables, and one Provincial Service Employee, all of whom reside on Bowen. Currently, Corporal Paulo Arreaga, Constable Chris Coulter, Constable Zhivka Ivanova and Melanie Mcleod have the pleasure of serving the community.
We pride ourselves in working in partnership with the Municipality of Bowen Island to deliver a quality policing service to the community. Some of the places you will see us engaging with our community are at roadblocks, community events, on foot patrol in Snug Cove, at school presentations and at situations requiring emergency response.
Our community also has two neighbourhoods that run a Block Watch program. Currently, Hood Point and Snug Cove (Cardena Rd) residents benefit from the program. This is a partnership between police and citizens that draws on members of the community for help in preventing and reducing neighbourhood crime.
We also run a small Speed Watch program that is supported by ICBC and two local volunteers. The program aims to educate drivers and reduce speed in areas of concern.
Statistics
The following are some raw numbers of incidents that Bowen Island RCMP members have investigated this year.
- Crimes against persons (assaults, etc): 26 in 2017, this number shows no dramatic increase or decrease over the past five years.
- Break and Enters: 5 in 2017. These crimes spiked in 2010, when there were 10 Break and Enters.
- Auto theft: Two such incidents this year. Again, there was a spike in 2015 when there were two.
- Mischief, 16 this year
- Drug investigations: 5 this year
- Vehicle collisions: 40 this year
- Impaired driving investigations: 22, more than double the number in 2016, which was double the number from 2015
- Missing Persons: 7
Many of the numbered incidents are avoidable. Here are a few tips on how to avoid becoming a statistic from your friendly local constabularies:
- secure your home and vehicle
- wear your seatbelt
- don’t drive distracted
- slow down
- if you drink don’t drive
- secure your children in a proper child seat
Bowen Island is a largely safe community. We all work hard to keep it that way. Having said that, our island is not immune to illegal drug use. Police investigations have found that cocaine, heroin, MDMA, and ecstasy have all tested positive for fentanyl. With the fentanyl crisis in full effect we are working closely with our local partner agencies to prepare for any overdoses. Our priority in this situation is to get medical help to anyone needing it.
We need your help in preventing this from occurring. If you have any details on anyone drug trafficking on Bowen Island, please reach out to Bowen Island RCMP (604 947 0516) or Crime Stoppers (www.solvecrime.ca). Anonymous reports welcome!
The commitment to Community Safety for residents of Bowen Island has always been and will continue to be our top priority.
-- Cst. Paulo Arreaga
Bowen Island RCMP
