Fort St. John sees spike in theft, drop in shoplifting in October

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The Fort St. John RCMP detachment has submitted an update to City Council regarding policing activities in the region, reporting a drop in shoplifting activities but an increase in vehicle thefts.

Sergeant Scott Watson, acting detachment commander of the Fort St. John RCMP appeared before council on August 12th to present the city’s 2023 annual review, after which the council and RCMP agreed to alter the reports to monthly. 

The October report, submitted to council on November 5th, shows an increase in vehicle thefts, mainly due to a slew of thefts from vehicles at hotels targeted at hunters, but a decrease in shoplifting incidents by 10. 

Watson highlighted an ‘interesting’ reduction in incidents at Walmart, where the store has followed the RCMP’s advice and hired additional security officers. 

During his August report to council, Watson highlighted a critical need for staff throughout 2023, which appears to continue to be a concern in October.

The detachment has taken in five recruits in recent months and is expecting two more before the end of the year. Three constable rank vacancies continue to be reported, and one officer and one watch commander remain on long-term sick leave.

According to the report, a second watch commander has returned to full hours and will return to active duty after completing mandatory training. A candidate has also been selected for the detachment commander role, and the detachment is currently ‘awaiting the staffing process to initiate a transfer.’ 

The name of the selected candidate is currently unknown, but will be made public once confirmed.