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Cranbrook, BC (April 28, 2025) – 2,262 reports to police and 1,905 calls for service highlight first quarter figures for the Cranbrook RCMP Detachment presented to Council by Staff Sergeant Barry Graham on Monday night. The presentation also showed an increase in some offences, most notably mischief under $5000, fraud under $5000 and motor vehicle accidents, which is common during the winter driving season.

Cranbrook members responded to 173 mental health files (up from 149 in the previous quarter), submitted 85 Reports to Crown Counsel recommending charges and conducted 39 curfew checks of persons on conditions. Despite operating at a member roadable rate (the number of fully operational RCMP members) of only 71%, Cranbrook detachment increased traffic enforcement resulting in:

• Issued 24 violation tickets;
• 7 written traffic warnings; and 
• Issued 38 provincial roadside prohibitions for impaired driving, which results in immediate driver’s license suspension and the offender’s vehicle being towed

The Cranbrook RCMP detachment carried out a series of proactive policing and crime reduction initiatives to enhance community safety and engagement. These included 49 joint patrols with City Bylaw Officers, routine foot patrols in key areas like Moir Park, and the delivery of two crime prevention presentations. The detachment is also onboarding two Auxiliary officers to support future prevention efforts, and Cranbrook RCMP volunteers contributed through three community patrols, highlighting a strong commitment to visibility and collaboration within the community.

Cranbrook RCMP highlighted several significant cases, including the execution of a search warrant at a residence by the General Investigation Section (GIS), which led to the seizure of suspected controlled substances and stolen property, and the arrest of several individuals. In another operation, with the support of the Emergency Response Team and Police Dog Services, RCMP safely apprehended a dangerous offender from Alberta. Additionally, Cranbrook RCMP located a high-risk offender from Creston driving a stolen vehicle in the area. Following a dynamic takedown that resulted in two officers being injured, the offender was successfully apprehended.

“It has been another busy quarter for our team both in volume and intensity of calls. We appreciate the public’s patience and understanding when our response to non-emergency calls is delayed due to time sensitive or violent incidents in progress,” says S/Sgt. Barry Graham, Cranbrook RCMP Detachment Commander. “Additionally, increased administrative demands coupled with the exponential growth in data management, in part due to body worn cameras, make it difficult to regularly engage in proactive patrols. We are grateful for the support of the Community Engagement Coordinator and Cranbrook RCMP volunteers for their assistance in supporting many of our crime prevention initiatives in the community.”

“The City will continue to work closely with the RCMP to reduce nuisance level crime,” says Mayor Wayne Price. “Our Bylaw team will begin a bike patrol program to increase their presence in problem areas, and a remote camera surveillance project is expected to be introduced in the near future.”

You can review the complete presentation made to Council online here.