The Cranbrook RCMP continues to look for solutions to it’s staffing issues as officers take extra shifts and overtime.
Staff Sergeant Barry Graham said there are currently eight vacancies, with one member on parental leave, four on long-term medical leave, two on restricted duties, and there is one hard vacancy.
He said there was a brief moment when they were actually overstaffed, but it unfortunately didn’t last long.
“We did have one window of time where we were overstaffed to the point where we actually assigned members out to other communities in need,” Graham added.
“It was nice to have that luxury as briefly as it was, but right now we have 24.6 roadable police officers out of 33 positions.”
Paying overtime is costly for the city, but Graham said it’s been a lifesaver.
“Without that extra help, operations would have collapsed.”
He said patrols can be stressful and they would have a very hard time getting officers to take extra shifts without it.
“It’s Irishman’s Creek to the other side of Jaffray, up to Wycliffe and down to the U.S. border. You are the be-all and end-all and if you’re one of two it’s daunting,” he said.
Graham said there are no easy fixes to getting the detachment staffed up, but they are looking at everything.
“We appreciate that we are able to get people in police cars for right now, but we know it’s not an efficient thing or sustainable long term,” he added.
“We have looked at and will continue to look at every available option.”
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