Cranbrook City Council met with members of the local RCMP detachment to discuss policing goals and priorities for 2025 and 2026.
The meeting helped create the Annual Performance Plan, which establishes priorities for the RCMP to focus their efforts and track their progress.
This collaborative process was an annual tradition in Cranbrook, but it has been paused for several years.
“While local governments were previously involved in shaping these plans, this practice was paused during COVID-19. Now, the Cranbrook Detachment is eager to return to working closely with the City and community to build a strategic plan together,” said the City of Cranbrook.
Sergeant Stu Hert, Cranbrook RCMP Operations NCO, says the goal is to determine which policing goals will be important for the community over the next year.
“This year, we established four broad areas we want to focus on, and we met with Cranbrook Council and other government leaders from Ê”aqÌ“am, and we will be meeting with the Regional District of East Kootenay, to get their input on what is important to their people and their communiites,” said Hert.
“The broad priorities are reducing crime and victimization with the community, increasing the use of restorative justice, fostering strong collaborative relationships with the Indigenous community and enhancing accountability and public trust. Within each of those categories, we’ll establish strategies and initiatives that we can track and focus our efforts on.”
Council supported the RCMP’s focus on reducing drug use, drug dealing, and overdoses, particularly among youth.
The City also emphasized the need to address theft and petty crime, target those who take advantage of vulnerable residents and continue the RCMP’s partnership wth Bylaw Services in responding to issues involving the unhoused population.
“We are here to serve the public, and our broad goal is to have a safe community that the public is able to enjoy without concerns of harm,” said Hurt.
“Consultations with community members and government officials help us get feedback directly from the community on what’s important to them.”
Hert says the public can also play an important part in setting out the RCMP’s priorities.
“An important tool which is available to the public is the online reporting tool, which helps create valuable crime statistics, which can help ensure the resources needed locally can be accessed and helps highlight areas of Cranbrook which are experiencing issues. You can access the online reporting tool,” said Hert.
Mayor Wayne Price says the collaborative communication ensures policing in Cranbrook aligns with public safety needs and the concerns of residents.
“Focus on community policing has been a priority for Council this term. The Annual Performance Plan and program follow-up have been effective in keeping policing priorities aligned with Council’s goals,” said Price.
The Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) has signed on to a program aimed at settling skilled immigrants in B.C. to fill employment roles and operate businesses.
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