I always find it interesting the kinds of questions that people ask our Mayor and Councillors when they are out and about and I had originally intended to use this blog as a means to address such questions which may also be on the minds of others in the community.
The Mayor was recently asked - "Why did the City buy a new truck for the Deputy Fire Chief when the Fire Hall was over budget?"
That is an understandable question. My first response is to clarify that the money to purchase new trucks or other equipment comes from an Equipment Reserve, where funds have been set aside on an annual basis for the replacement of aging equipment. Setting funds aside ahead of time ensures that equipment can be replaced when required, without affecting the operational budget.
Secondly, there was a demonstrated need for a new truck. Currently, the pick-up trucks operated by the Fire Department are 1/2 tons with limited towing capacity. The Fire Department has a Fire Safety House and a large Hazardous Materials Response Trailer which required a larger truck to pull them safely and economically.
Furthermore, the 1/2 ton Fire Department truck which was replaced was reassigned to the Engineering Department to replace an 80's model pick-up that had reached the end of it's useful life. The truck from the Fire Department will now serve the Engineering Department well for a number of years to come, without the cost of buying a new truck for Engineering.
There is a common assumption that City vehicles are replaced on a pre-determined schedule (ie. every five years) which is not the case. The City keeps vehicles and equipment in its fleet until such time as the cost of operating and repairing them exceeds the value of purchasing a replacement. Depending on the level of use they receive, some vehicles operate in excess of 10 or 15 years, some even longer. When a new vehicle is purchased, the existing vehicle may often be reassigned to another department where it can operate under lighter duty for an additional period of time. At the end of the day, vehicles and equipment that are no longer required by the City are sold at auction or by sealed bid.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Reduced Crime in Williams Lake
St. Sgt. Warren Brown of the Williams Lake RCMP provided Council with a review of the 2010 crime statistics at the January 11th Council meeting and the results are nothing short of amazing. Compared to 2008, when crime appeared to be at an all-time high in Williams Lake, a majority of criminal offence categories have seen as much as an 88% reduction, with many in the 50 - 60% range. The reduction in offences corresponds with a 20% reduction in Calls for Service.
Having been the City's liaison with the RCMP for a number of years, I can offer some opinions and observations with respect to the why these numbers have decreased so dramatically. It is recognized that crime in general in down in communities throughout BC and the country. However, not anywhere near the levels of reduction we've seen in Williams Lake.
Most notably, the Williams Lake RCMP has taken a very consistent approach to dealing with the community's prolific offenders - those few individuals who are responsible for a vast majority of crime. These individuals have been provided a particularly high level of attention from our RCMP members and as a result, when they offend, they are being arrested and are receiving stronger sentences. There is a clear correlation between reduced incidents of property crime and the incarceration of prolific offenders so when these individuals are in prison, our community is much safer.
Another factor influencing crime reduction is the dedication and efforts of the numerous volunteers in our community policing programs. These volunteers spend numerous hours patrolling our streets, facilitating Restorative Justice circles, monitoring traffic speeds and providing education to the community to name a few.
In late 2008, the current Council approved funding for two civilian support positions at the Williams Lake detachment, intended to reduce some of the administrative requirements of the RCMP members, thus allowing the members to spend more time on patrol and conducting investigations. These positions have proved invaluable and in 2010, Council committed to these positions becoming long term.
These latest statistics are good news for our community and indicate a promising trend that we hope will continue in 2011.
Having been the City's liaison with the RCMP for a number of years, I can offer some opinions and observations with respect to the why these numbers have decreased so dramatically. It is recognized that crime in general in down in communities throughout BC and the country. However, not anywhere near the levels of reduction we've seen in Williams Lake.
Most notably, the Williams Lake RCMP has taken a very consistent approach to dealing with the community's prolific offenders - those few individuals who are responsible for a vast majority of crime. These individuals have been provided a particularly high level of attention from our RCMP members and as a result, when they offend, they are being arrested and are receiving stronger sentences. There is a clear correlation between reduced incidents of property crime and the incarceration of prolific offenders so when these individuals are in prison, our community is much safer.
Another factor influencing crime reduction is the dedication and efforts of the numerous volunteers in our community policing programs. These volunteers spend numerous hours patrolling our streets, facilitating Restorative Justice circles, monitoring traffic speeds and providing education to the community to name a few.
In late 2008, the current Council approved funding for two civilian support positions at the Williams Lake detachment, intended to reduce some of the administrative requirements of the RCMP members, thus allowing the members to spend more time on patrol and conducting investigations. These positions have proved invaluable and in 2010, Council committed to these positions becoming long term.
These latest statistics are good news for our community and indicate a promising trend that we hope will continue in 2011.
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