Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: In the aftermath of Portapique, we owe a huge debt to our RCMP

Apr 23, 2020 | 5:12 AM

KAMLOOPS — IN THE SAD AFTERMATH of the horrible events in Nova Scotia, questions are being raised about the slowness with which RCMP alerted the public about a killer on the loose.

The inference is that lives could have been saved if people had known what was going on sooner. Juxtaposed against the obvious heroism of police — including the death of Const. Heidi Stevenson as she tried to stop the suspect — this public expression of doubt adds to the tragedy.

Lord knows the RCMP aren’t perfect when it comes to public information. We often feel frustration with lack of detail about police-related events in our own community.

Just last weekend, for example, Kamloops RCMP revealed that an unnamed suspect had been arrested for an undisclosed incident on undisclosed charges.

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: December 12, 2024

13h ago

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: North Shore BIA working hard to develop a 'happening place'

19h ago

1000 Ways to Heal

1000 Ways to Heal: Moons

Dec 10, 2024

Yet by their own account, this was a highly visible incident that ended only after a standoff. It was an example of the selective way in which RCMP release information.

But let’s stop and think about the outstanding job our police force does for us each and every day. Tuesday, they responded to a report of a hostage incident, called in the Emergency Response Team, locked down the neighbourhood, shut down Halston Bridge to traffic, and secured the house.

Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm, but the professionalism with which they responded was a clinic in good police work.

On any given day, RCMP deal with property crimes, drugs, stabbings, murders, brawls, domestic disputes, bicycle thefts — from the mundane to the highly dangerous.

They often must make split-second decisions, guided by their training and experience. There will be some painful post mortems about the Nova Scotia tragedy but we owe a huge debt of gratitude to our national police force.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and newspaper editor. He writes five commentaries a week for CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.