Campbell River RCMP see highest service calls in a decade
Calls for service to the Campbell River RCMP detachment were the highest they've ever been since the detachment changed to its "modern reporting systems" roughly a decade ago.
Last year, the detachment received 17,588 calls for service, up 4.8 per cent compared to the 16,782 calls received in 2020.
Campbell River RCMP say the most common calls were for wellness checks, followed by traffic complaints, disturbances – such as fights in progress or screaming in public – and calls for unwanted persons refusing to leave areas.
UNUSUAL CALLS
Some of the detachment's most interesting calls of the year ranged from serious to humorous.
Mounties note that on Aug. 28, an officer was conducting a wellness check, which included driving a woman and her puppy home.
When the woman was getting to her front door, police say a raccoon dropped from her roof and began attacking her dog.
"The constable on scene pulled out his baton and delivered three quick strikes to the furry creature's noggin and it went scurrying back up onto the roof," said RCMP in a release Monday.
The raccoon fled the area and the woman and dog were left unharmed, police said.
A more serious call Campbell River RCMP responded to last year included a man allegedly stabbing a store security guard on Dec. 7.
He was arrested Dec. 10 and released on conditions, but was found breaching those conditions and reportedly assaulting a police officer one day later. He was arrested and remained in police custody Monday.
As of Jan. 21, Campbell River RCMP say the number of calls for service have been similar to the number received in the early days of 2021.
"It is a hope that COVID concerns will start to decrease and masks can come off again enabling the easier identification of criminals in the community as they ply their trade," said the Mounties.
"More and more arrests are being made of those who seek to steal from commercial locations as criminals have become emboldened by the belief that they cannot be identified," said the detachment. "Many of those individuals will finally see the inside of court rooms in the coming year."
Police are reminding residents that crimes or suspicious occurrences can be reported to the Campbell River RCMP detachment at 250-286-6221.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.