RCMP call in extra members to Dawson Creek, B.C., following rise in shootings

More Mounties will soon be on the streets of Dawson Creek, B.C., following a recent spate of gun violence.

North District RCMP say members of the province's Uniform Gang Enforcement Team (UGET), as well as other support units from around the province, are arriving in the city to help local officers.

Since the beginning of November, police have responded to at least five different calls for gun-related violence in the city of about 12,000 people, located 400 kilometres by car northeast of Prince George, near the B.C.-Alberta border.

"Our citizens have been expressing their fear and frustration towards the emerging street crime that is taking place," Dawson Creek city council said in a release this week.

"We will not accept this as the new normal."

The UGET was created in 2007 in response to gang violence in the Lower Mainland.

They take what they describe as a three-tiered approach to tackling gang violence, which includes being highly visible in public spaces in the community where gang recruitment and activity might take place. They also assist in investigations and enforcement against known offenders.

In an interview posted to his Facebook page, Dawson Creek Mayor Darcy Dober said he believes local RCMP are doing everything they can to handle the recent violence but they need more support.

"It's not that we're short-staffed, it's just that they're not used to this influx of shootings and what we're seeing right now."

'Blatant disregard for public safety'

Police say while they believe most of the recent incidents have been targeted, they still put the public at risk.

"Innocent citizens have been affected by the blatant disregard for public safety," North District RCMP spokesperson Madonna Saunderson said in a release about the recent spate of shots fired.

"Investigations to date have established that these appear to be targeted acts, and this type of violence is typically related to drug and gang activities or specific personal disputes."

On Nov. 4, two people were taken to hospital when shots were fired in a residential neighbourhood, followed by the sounds of someone screaming. Four people were seen fleeing the scene but no arrests were made.

On Nov. 18, police exchanged gunfire with a man who was subject to an arrest warrant. The man died of what RCMP say they believe are self-inflicted injuries, and the province's Independent Investigations Office has launched a review.

And between the evening of Nov. 28 and morning of Nov. 29, police responded to three separate reports of shots fired throughout the city, all of which are believed to be related.

Officers are also investigating a suspected homicide from Nov. 16, although they have not said whether gun violence was involved.

Province says it is targeting known violent offenders

In an interview with CBC Daybreak North last week, Peace River South MLA Mike Bernier of B.C. United said the recent incidents were "very troubling," and reflected problems being seen province-wide.

"It appears to be the same small handful of people in a lot of these communities that are causing the problem."

He said the legal system needs to be adjusted so known, repeat offenders aren't released back into the public while they are likely to re-offend.

In a follow-up interview, B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma said her government has been calling on the federal government to reform the criminal justice system to keep more violent offenders in custody, such as not releasing people on bail if they have attacked someone using a weapon.

She also pointed to action from her government forming dedicated enforcement hubs aimed at targeting repeat violent offenders, including one serving Dawson Creek consisting of a police officer, a probation officer and a Crown prosecutor who are focused on 22 known offenders in the region.

"They're getting better information [about the offenders], they're better able to make the case before the judge ... and they're better able to figure out what that person needs to stop the cycle of violence."