As the Burns Lake detachment of the RCMP prepares to identify priorities for the 2015-2016 annual performance plan, corporal Terry Gillespie asked the Burns Lake council for their input.
During a regular council meeting, Gillespie asked council if there were any projects or enforcement that they would like to see in the community, or anything that they were concerned about.
One of the concerns raised by council was about automobiles that are broken into in the middle of the night in Burns Lake, especially when vehicles are left unlocked.
Gillespie said the RCMP can definitely do some education and enforcement on this issue.
Another concern raised by council was about people who speed on dirt bikes in Burns Lake, increasing the risk of accidents.
Gillespie said the RCMP could plan "enforcement nights" and do some education in schools to tackle that problem.
Council also pointed out how fast people drive on Centre Street, specifically from Home Hardware to Fifth Avenue.
"People drive way too fast in both directions," said coun. Susan Schienbein. "It's scary."
Another topic of discussion was vandalism. Councillor John Illes said business owners should be educated on ways to prevent vandalism.
Gillespie agreed by saying that vandalism is very difficult to solve afterwards, so the best way to deal with it is to prevent it from happening.
Gillespie was asked if the RCMP tends to monitor activities at the Evereshen Nature Trail (the gully).
Gillespie said there are a few "hotspots for drinking and unruly behaviour" in Burns Lake, but that the RCMP haven't been targeting the gully.
In the 2014-2015 annual performance plan, priorities included reducing substance abuse; hitchhiking; reducing theft of motor vehicles; and improving police/community relations.
Staff sgt. Grant MacDonald with the Burns Lake RCMP said one of the priorities for the 2015-2016 annual performance plan will continue to be reducing substance abuse (alcohol and drugs). The measures to reduce substance abuse include prevention and education, enforcement, investigations and intelligence gathering.
"Concurrently with those measures, a number of prevention and education initiatives were delivered over the past year such as making presentations to community groups (including schools), having a kiosk at health fairs, supporting the Preventing Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth program, delivery of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, to name a few," said MacDonald.
"The input from the community to identify where they feel police should dedicate its focus is critical and is always welcome," he added.
Community members who wish to suggest priorities for the Burns Lake RCMP can call staff sgt. Grant MacDonald at 250-692-7171 or e-mail grant.a.macdonald@rcmp-grc.gc.ca