Cops on the downtown beat

Photo: Darren Handschuh

The RCMP Downtown Enforcement Unit is up and running in Vernon.

Last year, city council gave the Vernon RCMP its financial blessing to hire two more officers, bringing the detachment total to 50.

Vernon RCMP Supt. Jim McNamara said those two new officers have been placed in the DEU.

“They will do a combination of whatever it takes,” said McNamara. “They will be in a police car or on foot.”

McNamara said the officers will also patrol parks and beaches.

“They are real problem solvers for whatever happens downtown,” he said. “They get to know the players and they develop a really close working relationship with all the other other agencies downtown.”

While there was talk last year about the number of panhandlers in the downtown core, McNamara pointed out panhandling itself is not illegal. There are bylaws that govern how and where panhandling can be done, but that is not something for police to deal with.

“We don't get involved with homeless people. We get involved with people doing criminal activity,” said the veteran officer.

Although the city funds positions for 50 officers, McNamara said there are actually more officers attached to the city, as some are on maternity or other types of leave that the city does not pay for.

“There is incoming and outgoing all the time here,” he said, adding a “new recruit” started working in Vernon this week and three more new-to-Vernon officers will be starting in April.