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RCMP enlist community policing officer

For roughly one year the position of Community Policing Officer has been vacant at the Whistler detachment, but that was rectified this week with the announcement that Constable Tara Merrie would be taking over the job.

For roughly one year the position of Community Policing Officer has been vacant at the Whistler detachment, but that was rectified this week with the announcement that Constable Tara Merrie would be taking over the job.

It's familiar ground for Merrie, who has experience in community policing from previous posts in 100 Mile House, Williams Lake and Stl'atl'imx (Mount Currie). She's also a certified DARE (Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education) officer.

The Community Policing Officer is generally the point of contact for organizations that are active in Whistler, as well as an outreach position that requires active involvement.

A short list of Merrie's responsibilities include youth and school-based policing programs like Stranger Danger, bringing DARE to high schools, community safety and awareness programs, crime prevention strategies and tracking local crime data to identify patterns.

According to Sergeant Shawn LeMay, the other members of the detachment filled in while the position was vacant and will continue to assist the position in the future.

Merrie has hit the ground running.

"I've been visiting the schools to talk about Halloween safety, met with the Brownie group, there's a MAC (Mature Action Committee) lifestyle fair on Thursday evening that I'll be attending. I've been prepping schools for DARE, (there's a crime) prevention program that we're getting off the ground, and it's only day two," said Merrie.

Part of her role will be connecting with organizations like the local bar association, the hotel loss prevention association, and other groups - assisting where she can, and representing the RCMP. Cst. Merrie has an interest in tracking crime trends, such as the theft of bikes in the community over the summer, so she can communicate that information to the public. Crime prevention is also a part of the position, and Cst. Merrie will likely be attending a provincial conference on crime prevention to look for strategies she can bring back to Whistler.

On the public safety side, she's interested in providing self-defence classes for women and seniors in the community so they feel safe at home.

The benefit of having a dedicated officer in community policing, says Sgt. LeMay, is that groups will have a single point of contact with the RCMP to build relationships. Another benefit is that, unlike other officers filling in community policing roles, Cst. Merrie won't be called away in the middle of presentations to answer police calls - something that has happened in the past.

Working with more community groups will also give the RCMP more input on what the town's priorities are when it comes to policing, "which is one of the things we haven't been able to do," without a community policing officer, said Sgt. LeMay. "We want the community to share with us and tell us what they want to give the most attention."

The RCMP is looking at other programs that would involve other members. One RCMP officer is being designated as a youth officer, while there is potential that officers will have a greater presence in the community coaching sports and even teaching classes on science and other subjects at the high school.

"For example, we have members who are, shall we say, learned in the ways of science and are passionate about that, and are interested in being in the schools and in the science classes and have ideas for different projects if the high school approves," said Sgt. LeMay.

"The bottom line is that everywhere that we're welcome and can be, we certainly want to be there."

 

Impaired driving stop leads to arrest

The RCMP reported four impaired driving calls over the past week, one in which the intoxicated passenger of the vehicle was later arrested for being drunk in public, obstructing a police officer and causing a nuisance.

At roughly 1:30 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 24, the Whistler RCMP stopped a vehicle on Lorimer Road heading towards Highway 99. The officer believed that the driver showed signs of recently consuming alcohol, and while investigating the female passenger jumped out of the truck and ran at the police officer. A 29-year-old Whistler female was arrested for Obstruction and placed in the back of the police car where she then tried to kick out the rear-window.

The driver, a 33-year-old Whistler male, was issued a 90-day driving prohibition after failing the approved roadside screening device and had his vehicle impounded for 30 days.

The other three calls were for drivers that blew in the warn range.

The first was at 11 p.m. on Oct. 20 at a highway safety check at Highway 99 and Nesters Road.

The second was reported at 2:40 p.m. on Oct. 23, at a seatbelt compliance stop. Both the driver and passenger were issued tickets for not wearing seatbelts, and the officer detected the odour of burnt marijuana. The driver was issued a driving suspension for drugs.

The third was at 1:34 a.m. on Oct. 23, after a vehicle was stopped for failing to obey a posted stop sign at Village Gate Boulevard and Blackcomb Way.

Under the new provincial laws, a breath sample in the "warn" range - between 0.05 and 0.08 per cent blood alcohol content - leads to a mandatory three-day driving prohibition and a fine. The driver is also required to pay a fee to have their driver's licence reinstated.