The Mountaineer reached out to the Revelstoke RCMP for an update on its role during the pandemic. Here is what Acting Detachment Commander, Sgt. Chris Dodds, said about how local police are working to help educate the public about COVID-19 and why its important for both residents and visitors to be aware of the current public health regulations:
Revelstoke Mountaineer: What kind of COVID-19 enforcement issues have the Revelstoke RCMP been involved with? Generally, what is the nature of these enforcement steps?
Revelstoke RCMP Sgt. Chris Dodds: To date we have not had large amount of specific Public Health Order related files in Revelstoke (9 total complaints for 2020). Up until this last weekend the Revelstoke RCMP had not issued any COVID 19 related violation tickets.
Generally speaking, when we are called with a specific complaint regarding the Public Health Order we will speak to the subject(s) involved to gain further information and, if appropriate, we provide education on the current direction from public health and the law. If the subject(s) continue to violate the public health order, we will issue a violation ticket(s).
RM: Members of the public sometimes call for enforcement measures such as preventing non-residents from traveling here when there is a non-essential travel recommendation. In terms of the existing legal and enforcement framework, how would you respond to that type of suggestion? What is the RCMP’s role?
Sgt. Dodds : The role of the BC RCMP is to enforce the legally enacted laws of British Columbia and the Federal Acts such as the Criminal Code. If members of the public have concerns regarding the current public health order or wish to make suggestions, I would direct them to local or provincial public health authorities.
What I will advise is that BC RCMP is mindful that people travel for a number of reasons and health officials have publicly said that no one should assume anything about another person’s circumstances or reason for travel. Ultimately, it is important for everyone, including visitors to Revelstoke to be aware of the BC Health Officer’s orders, wear masks in indoor public spaces, physically distance, and ensure proper hand hygiene.
RM: Generally, how has the pandemic affected policing in Revelstoke, including policing that is not directly related to the pandemic but is connected. For example, an increase in calls for service related to property crime or mental health distress.
Sgt. Dodds: The Revelstoke RCMP has been working to respond to the challenges of the pandemic. Police officers are not exempt from the PHO mask order, we are required to wear masks inside any indoor public areas. On the same token, any time our officers are in a position where they cannot ensure social distancing, they are encouraged to wear a mask. As police officers, we do not always have the luxury of time to don a mask, especially in emergency situations.
As a emergency response agency, we do have existing protocols and procedures to deal with these types of situations. As police officers, we routinely have to take precautions due to contacts with individuals with communicable diseases. Members deal with exposure to bodily fluids and other hazard regularly, so our training and procedures have always focused on reducing those risks. To ensure that we do not impact the public, all Revelstoke members are completing personal daily health checks and must self isolate if they are experiencing COVID like symptoms.
Locally, we have not observed a marked increase in calls for service due to the pandemic, and if anything, our calls for service are lower than average, likely due to a reduction in the tourist visits. We have not experienced any significant shifts in call types to date.
RM: If the public has a complaint related to COVID-19 compliance, who are they meant to call? For example, they see a situation they feel is unsafe or not complying with public health orders?
Sgt. Dodds: If a member of the public has information or are witness to someone contravening any provincial or federal law, they should call the RCMP and report it. An investigator will assess their information and we will take action if necessary or required. For COVID 19 related guidance, the public can go to https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support for the most up to date information.
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