Photo: Province of B.C.

RCMP Supt. Kevin Hewco provided an update to the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen board, this week, regarding the hiring of two additional officers for when the prison opens in the South Okanagan.

The Okanagan Correctional Centre north of Oliver is currently slated to open in the fall.

"Regarding the discussion over enhancing our South Okanagan provincially funded RCMP Officers, I can say that we had prepared and submitted a business case internally in support of the deployment of an additional two  RCMP Officers for the Oliver detachment," he said. "This was to coincide with the opening and staffing of the correctional centre and in anticipation of Oliver's population surpassing the 5,000 number what with the new facility's inmates and staff alone numbering in excess of 1,000 when fully occupied." 

The business case was submitted in the spring of this year, according to Hewco, for consideration amongst numerous others from around the province.

"To date, I am unaware of where it sits in order of provincial priorities as there are many, as you can imagine," he said. 
 
In order to secure new positions this may materialize from either newly funded provincial positions being created or from some being freed up for re-deployment from elsewhere if a municipal contract is struck with a community that may emerge over 5,000 or 15,000 in population, based upon the recent census.

There are many factors that are considered when these decisions are made and B.C. Government Police Services are also heavily engaged in this decision making.

"It takes some time before a decision is reached thus we submitted our request early in anticipation of hopefully realizing an increase in early 2017," Hewco said.

Construction on the Oliver facility is almost complete. The keys are expected to be turned over Oct. 1.

System testing and staff familiarization will follow, with inmates expected to move into the facility in early 2017.