At my last Rotary meeting we had a great speaker Daryl Plecas. He spoke about a topic close to my heart, crime prevention.
Over the last decade, British Columbia has reduced crime more than any other jurisdiction in either Canada or the U.S. The first step in crime reduction was identifying the people involved in crime. This was done through the creation of an extensive, comprehensive data base. The second step was developing information on how the different crime groups are related to each other in their criminal activities. The third step is to target the most prolific criminals and go after them.
The use of databases and intelligent surveillance is the reason recent terrorist activities are carried out by individuals. Organized terrorist groups are identified, watched and prevented from carrying out their plans. Prevention measures include being problem oriented. Crimes occur at 2 % of addresses. By concentrating resources in these areas, a significant reduction in crime occurs.
Most people in conflict with the law have social issues over and above their criminal activities. Drug and mental health problems are not something law enforcement officials are set up to deal with, they do end up dealing with the consequences. Partnering with community and public health agencies reduces antisocial activities and helps avoid violence.
If you would like to get involved and help with crime prevention please contact the RCMP.
