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Increased police presence coming

Burns Lake RCMP will take to local waterways this summer in a new boat.
Increased police presence coming
Staff Sgt. Grant MacDonald and the Burns Lake RCMP will police the waterways this summer in the new Rigid Hull inflatable boat.

Burns Lake RCMP will take to local waterways this summer in a new boat.

Staff Sgt. Grant MacDonald told Burns Lake village council recently that the local detachment has obtained a replacement for its aging 1996 Zodiac Hurricane.

The new vessel is a custom-manufactured 2014 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) manufactured by Liquid Metal Marine Ltd. of Sidney, BC. Unlike its fibreglass predecessor, the new 5.4-metre vessel is primarily constructed of marine-grade aluminum.

According to MacDonald, the new boat is powered by a supercharged 90-hp four-stroke engine, has a beam of 2.4 metres, and meets the Canadian Construction Standards for Small Vessels. The boat, its motor, and trailer cost approximately $62,949 (excluding taxes).

MacDonald says local police are pleased with the purchase, and are currently transferring some equipment from the old boat to the new one.

“The upgrade to the vessel is a welcome addition,” he noted. “The vessel is designed for all aspects associated with policing on inland lakes and waterways, (including) search and rescue operations and ‘on-the-water’ enforcement.”

MacDonald said Burns Lake RCMP received the new boat in part because the local detachment believes there is increased need for police presence on local waterways.

Increased ‘on-the-water’ law enforcement is something Burns Lake Councillor Frank Varga supports.

“One thing I would like to see is increased police presence on the water,” Varga told MacDonald at the Feb. 25 meeting, adding that he and his family have occasionally encountered intoxicated boaters in the past.

MacDonald said the local detachment hopes to build a business case for increasing the detachment’s seasonal overtime budget to cover additional water patrols. The detachment, he said, also hopes to team up with Ministry of Environment conservation officers on patrols.