New top cop addresses Kamloops council, talks cannabis, Greyhound

“One has been announced in the last few weeks — I believe it’s called the Draeger 5000 — through the federal government. That is something we have not yet seen locally,” said Lecky.

“The training, whenever that does get rolled out, logistically I assume is quite a challenge. We don’t have anything in that regard at this point in hand. But if that is the direction of our government and our organization, then that’s the direction we will work in.”

Lecky said there are several unknowns surrounding what changes recreational cannabis legalization will bring to the community, not least of which is how workplaces will handle potential impairment.

“The real question for us, internally and externally, is what are we going to do with employees and people associated to us and other agencies? Regardless of where you are, that’s going to be a challenge and we don’t really have any formalized policies that have been rolled out nationally,” said Lecky.

Lecky arrived in Kamloops from Terrace in early July, succeeding former Kamloops top cop Brad Mueller.

At city hall on Tuesday, Councillor Dieter Dudy asked him about expectations for when Greyhound ends its service in the Kamloops area.

Dudy said that could have a major impact on Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre, where upon release, inmates are often given a bus ticket to return to their hometowns.

The councillor expressed concern that the loss of Greyhound service might mean more ex-cons staying in Kamloops upon being released.

“I haven’t heard what plans (BC Corrections has) in place. But I do know they have a duty to try to get people back to wherever they came from. As you know, they come from far and wide when they come to KRCC,” said Lecky.

“So I don’t know what plans they have in place. It is a concern, but I don’t yet know what they’re going to do about it.”

by James Peters

New top cop addresses Kamloops council, talks cannabis, Greyhound

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