RCMP doing 'excellent job,' says West District commander amid unrest in rural areas

The district commander for the RCMP in western New Brunswick says rural areas will be getting moreofficers to help combat an increase in crime, or a "perceived increase in crime," but the exact number remains unclear and it could take months.

Meanwhile, Supt. Andy LeClaircontends the RCMP are doing an "excellent job."

He's been "overwhelmed" bythe quality of work of his officers over the past two years, since he has held the position.

LeClair said he understands the frustrationof residents who may not get a police response as quickly as they would like.

But in an interview Thursday, he argued that rural policing comes with geographical challenges, and good policing is about more than having a "cop on every corner."

The RCMP provides a suiteof "world-class"services,such as the forensic identification unit, emergency response team, police dog service, traffic reconstruction and tech crime unit, and is being innovative in how ittargets drug crimes with itslocal crime reduction units.

Having said that, the RCMP can always do better,LeClairsaid.

Residents need to work with them, though, report all crimes and never resort tovigilantism, he said.

"To take part in criminal activity because you feel you're a victim of criminal activity that's not the answer."

If someoneis dissatisfied with the service they receive whether because an officer wasn't attentive enough, or an investigation wasn't done properly "there's a line of supervision to move up and it ends with the senior leadership," LeClairsaid.

Growing unrest in rural areas

His comments come amid growing unrest in rural areas across the province.

The mayor of Saint Andrews contends public confidence in policing in his region is "at an all-time low" and that additional resources are required to make people feel safe.

Residents of Fundy Shores and Eastern Charlotte, fed up with a rise in crime and the level of RCMP service they're receiving, are exploring their policing options.

In some communities in Kent County, residents have formed a neighbourhood watch because ongoing thefts and break-ins made them feel unsafe in their homes.

Deer Island fire 'deliberately set'

And people on Deer Island, frustrated over an alleged lack of police response to local crime, such as thefts, allegedlytook matters into their own handslast week, prompting the RCMP to issuea warning against vigilantism.

An abandoned residence was destroyed in a suspicious fireand acar was heavily damaged by a group of people at the ferry terminal late Tuesday night, and some fuel was reported stolen from the ferry terminal on Wednesday morning.

Investigators are treating the fire as "deliberately set," according to a spokesperson for theOffice of the Fire Marshal. "Anyone with information is asked to contact the RCMP," said Geoffrey Downey.

RCMP have not provided any updates on their investigation.

'Cooler heads need to prevail'

LeClairdescribed the incidents on Deer Island as significant and surprising.

It's "simply not acceptable" for people to take matters into their own hands, he said.

"The police take a very dim view on that and the judiciary takes an extremely dim view on that, as we've seen in the province," LeClair said, referring toarecent case in McAdam, where a man was sentenced to 18 months in jail for anactof vigilante justice.

"Cooler heads need to prevail."

'Do not take matters into your own hands': RCMP on vigilantism and rural policing

1 year ago

Duration 1:34

RCMP urges public to contact authorities while commenting on last week's alleged vigilantism in Deer Island.

Deer Island is "actually a very safe community," LeClairsaid. Crime statistics don't indicate any "major issue"there.

Some residents CBCNews has spoken to report a recent rash in thefts and blame people who allegedly use drugs and whoallegedly stayed in the now-destroyed abandoned residence when theyvisited the island at night, just as the ferry service shuts down until morning, making it more difficult for St. George RCMPto respond.

However, LeClair said there have been no calls related to the property in question "in recent history." He did not elaborate.

"What actually came out may not be based completely on reality because there simply aren't the crime stats to back up some of the communication that's going around on social media."

50 complaints a year from island

RCMP receive about 50 complaints a year from theisland of roughly 700 people, ranging from general assistance to break-and-enters, said LeClair. There haven't been any violent robberies, he said.

"I don't want to diminish any crime because anyone that's a victim of a crime is impacted," he added.

Andrea Anderson-Mason, MLA for Fundy-The Isles-Saint John West, told CBC she has also had an increase in resident complaints from other areas, such as St. Stephen and Grand Manan, about a rise in crime, particularly thefts. ButNew Brunswick RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Stphane Esculier said, there "does not appear to be a significant difference" in statistics from year to year.

"However, perception is reality," Esculier said. He did not provide any figures.

If people are being victimized, they need to call the police even for minor crimes, stressed LeClair. The information adds to crime patterns and helps police do their job more effectively, he said.

Need to consider 'best bang for the buck'

Asked about reports that some people don't bother to call police because they don't feelthey get areal response, LeClair said if it's a "high-priority file," officers will attend "as quickly as possible."

There are, however, geographical barriersin rural areasto being "right on the scene,"he said, citing the ferry required to get toDeer Island as an example.

"The simple fact is that there will be times where response times are going to be impacted because our officers have larger areas to cover and so getting to a complaint can take longer."

Deer Island lost its resident officer in 2020 when the RCMP and provincial government made a joint decisionto decommission the detachment, according to Esculier. He did not provide reasons.

St. George officers go to Deer Island "regularly" and respond to callsbased on priorities in the region,Esculier said.

RCMP need to be strategic about where they stationofficers, said LeClair. To post officers full time in locations like Deer Island "may not be the best bang for the buck."

"If there's an emergent situation on Deer Island or Campobello, would I like to have a police officer right there?Of course I would. That goes without saying. But that's simply not the reality."

Police presence a 'consistent message' for 2 years

LeClairsaid it's concerning to hear a politician say public confidence in policing is at an all-time low.

He believes it relates largely to police presence,"or the perceived police presence."

It has been a "consistent message" at community meetings he has attended over the past two years, he said.

Eighty officers are set to be hired with$20.5 million from the provincial government, 51 of them for the frontline,LeClair said.

"So that is going to translate into more visibility into the community."

Location of new officers based on several factors

The RCMPstill has to decide where the officers will be allocated."There's a certain science that goes into that," said LeClair. It's based on several factors, such ascall volumes, severity of calls, cop-to-population ratios,file loads, and "all kinds of consultation."

Filling the positions is also a challenge one faced by all police forces across the country, according toLeClair. It's very different from when hestarted policing in 1990 and people were lined up for jobs, he noted.

Pressed on how soon people can expect to see new officers in place, LeClair said it's an "ongoing project."

When they see a police officer they know, 'OK great, they're there, they have our back.' And so that is important.- Andy LeClair, RCMP west district commander

"It's not going to be done in one month. It's going to be over a period of months."

LeClair declined to say how many more officers the RCMP actually needs.

"I'm not going to put a cap on numbers," he said. "But to actually be getting 80 officers coming to the province to bolster our membership, that's huge."

Increased police presence, such as having anofficer drive through a town, might not have a significantimpacton crime rates, according to LeClair, who spent the majority of his 33-year career inurban areasof the lower mainland of British Columbia, where "there are cops everywhere."

What it does dois make the public feel safer, he said.

"When they see a police officer they know, 'OK, great, they're there, they have our back.' And so that is important.

"And so, you know, I would agree we need to do better with respect to how we engage and how we connect with the community, and that's going to be an ongoing goal for us."