The Crime Reduction Unit is back on the streets.
Made up of 10 specialized and highly visible officers from the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment, the unit's main goal is to identify and stop criminal activity before it impacts the community. The 2015 team follows in the footsteps of last year's unit, which received recognition and appreciation from the community for its presence throughout the region and particularly at large community events.
"The Crime Reduction Unit is designed to provide a highly visible response to crime in our community," detachment commander Insp. Ray Carfantan said. "This team will be proactive in their approach, be highly visible in the community, and remain focused on our goal of safe streets and neighbourhoods. I am looking forward to seeing positive results from this team, as we did last summer."
The officers on the Crime Reduction Unit have been temporarily reassigned from their regular duties, which include community policing, First Nations policing, and municipal traffic enforcement. They will return to those duties in the fall. Among their assignments with the Crime Reduction Unit, they will be conducting bike and foot patrols in areas that are highly populated or which are considered problem areas, locating people with outstanding warrants, and performing curfew checks and targeted enforcement on people or properties of concern. They will also be present at events such as Downtown Duncan Days, Sunfest, Rock of the Woods, and the Islands Folk Festival.