Male police officer stands in a field while holding mobile radio and looking at notes, with silos in background.

Vol. 79, No. 4

Visible presence Connecting with rural and urban communities

Getting out in the community and connecting with residents is a good approach for any police officer, whether posted in an urban or rural detachment. Credit: Andrew Marshall, Saskatchewan RCMP

Editorial message

RCMP police truck parked on a road in a rural landscape.

A sense of place

In this issue, we look at how geography and population density impact the policing needs of a community, and how RCMP officers respond with approaches that best target the problems in their cities, towns and counties.

News notes

Man crouching in front of tarp shelter in the snow.

Yukon police learn Northern skill set

On the fifth and final night of the Wilderness Operations and Outdoor Skills Training Course in the Yukon, Cst. John Gillis built himself a shelter and hunkered down for a cold night.

First responders place a young woman in a body bag.

Students see outcome of impaired driving

Local high school students in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, N.L., witnessed the consequences of drinking and driving at the scene of a mock disaster.

Male police officer approaches vehicle during traffic stop.

RCMP featured in FBI training video

Representing the RCMP in a training video for the Federal Bureau of Investigation was a first for Insp. Peter Trottier.

Eagle feather flies into Nova Scotia detachments

RCMP detachments and provincial courts in Nova Scotia will soon be providing indigenous victims, witnesses, suspects and police officers with the option to swear legal oaths on an eagle feather.

Cover stories

Two men in large yellow suits that cover their body and face.

Fighting fentanyl

When fentanyl hit the streets in British Columbia in 2014, mayhem broke loose. Like a disease epidemic, the drug spread through the larger urban centres first, leaving hundreds of overdosed victims in its wake.

Urban vs. rural

At 8 a.m. Monday morning, the Digby detachment in southwest Nova Scotia was just getting busy.

Police officer talks to woman in front of tents.

Surrey hot spot getting safer

After years of building up a notorious reputation as a hub for criminal activity, Surrey's 135A Street began spiraling out of control in August 2016. The fentanyl crisis had hit.

Drawing by a child of a police officer standing between two cars.

Operation Think of Me

A picture can say a thousand words — especially when it's a drawing from a local kid, asking you to drive safely. That's why Cst. Colin Helm recruited the help of local elementary school children for Operation Think of Me.

Two people talking with livestock in the background.

Field work

The week Cpl. Chris Reister spent on an Alberta ranch in 2010 was one of the most memorable of his career as an RCMP livestock investigator.

Police officers on a farm, approach a truck.

Know your neighbour

According to Statistics Canada, the volume and severity of crime is on the rise in Canada for the first time in 12 years, jumping five per cent in 2015 from 2014. And rural communities are not untouched.

Panel discussion

Male police officer next to three young people with colourful van in background.

Rural vs. urban policing: What outreach approaches work best?

Whether an officer's beat is in a remote, rural landscape or a densely populated downtown core, connecting with members of the community is essential.

Q & A

Three police officers pull over two vehicles on a rural road with a police cruiser in the distance.

Build partnerships, be part of community

At first glance, policing a rural community or an urban centre would seem as different as the landscapes themselves. But when you dig a little deeper, no matter the size of the community, there are many similarities.

Ask an expert

Identifying impairment

Cpl. David Botham has been a DRE with the RCMP since 2010, and has trained more than 200 police officers to recognize the signs of impairment. He sat down with Amelia Thatcher to talk about how drugs impair people, and what signs to look for.

On the leading edge

Male police officer conducting interview.

Profile of a good police interviewer

Identifying the characteristics of competent and suitable interviewers can only benefit the general interview performance of investigative units, the crime solving rates of police services and the public's trust.

Emerging trends

A close up of the torse of an RCMP officer dressed in red serge.

Trading blue for red

As an experienced police officer, RCMP Cst. Eliot Hill brings a unique perspective to the RCMP where he has worked for just over a year.

New technology

Police officer collects man's saliva in small clear tube.

Finding a roadside drug test

In a pilot project run earlier this year, the RCMP and other Canadian police agencies in collaboration with Public Safety Canada tested two different oral fluid screening devices, which can identify the presence of drugs using a mouth swab.

Last page

Woman with a hat pushes a metal rod into the foundation of a building with a young Ugandan child.

Global police ambassadors

A moment of inspiration drove RCMP Cst. Kirsten Link to spearhead a fundraising mission to build a police station halfway around the world in Uganda earlier this year.

Cover of magazine — **NOTE:** An electronic version of this issue of Gazette magazine is available.

Masthead

Publisher:

Kevin Fowler

Editor:

Katherine Aldred

Writers:

Deidre Seiden
Amelia Thatcher

Web publisher:

Richard Vieira

Graphic design:

Lisa McDonald-Bourg

Translation:

RCMP Translation Services

Printing:

St. Joseph Communications

Date modified:: 2017-09-22

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