RCMP Prince Edward Island 2018-2019 Year in Review

Table of contents

• Mission
• Vision
• Core values
• Message from the Minister of Justice and Public safety and Attorney General
• Message from the Commanding Officer
• Message from the Criminal Operations Officer
• Message from the Federal Policing Officer
• National strategic priorities
• Provincial strategic priorities
• Calls for service
  • Prince district overview
  • Queens district overview
  • Kings district overview
  • Major crime unit
  • Forensic identification section
  • Police dog services
  • Remotely piloted aerial systems
  • Communications and media relations
  • Intelligence-led policing
  • Information management and information technology
• Divisional overview
• RCMP Veterans' Association

Mission

The RCMP is Canada's national police service. Proud of our traditions and confident in meeting future challenges, we commit to preserve the peace, uphold the law and provide quality service in partnership with our communities.

Vision

We will be a progressive, proactive and innovative organization; provide the highest quality service through dynamic leadership, education and technology in partnership with the diverse communities we serve; be accountable and efficient through shared decision-making; ensure a healthy work environment that encourages team building, open communication and mutual respect; promote safe communities; and demonstrate leadership in the pursuit of excellence.

Core values

Recognizing the dedication of all employees, we will create and maintain an environment of individual safety, well-being and development. We are guided by integrity, honesty, professionalism, compassion, respect and accountability.

Message from the Minister of Justice and Public safety and Attorney General

Prince Edward Island is among the safest provinces in Canada. This is in great part thanks to the leadership and dedication of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Your commitment can be felt and seen across the Island, providing our residents and visitors with the peace of mind found in safe communities.

As PEI's newest Attorney General, I have gained a deeper appreciation of the depth and specializations of the RCMP plays in creating this sense of peacefulness. With over 200 officers serving our communities, from Tignish to Souris, as well as Lennox Island and Scotchfort, your presence provides us with the security and ability to focus our energy on how we can work together to make Prince Edward Island a better place to live, work and play.

Among the many types of specialized policing services and resources for our province, the Criminal Intelligence Service Prince Edward Island (CISPEI) deserves a special mention. CISPEI brings together municipal police services and other federal and provincial law enforcement agencies that collaborate together with the shared goal of detecting and disrupting criminal activity, often before it becomes a matter of public interest. This network of law enforcement agencies demonstrates how different organizations can come together for the greater good of us all.

Islanders know and feel that the police force do an important job. Almost all Islanders recognize the good work that you do and rely on the expertise of those on the front line. Together, government and the RCMP, can continue on this path to keep Island communities safe and to seize on opportunities of improvement where we can, such as through restorative justice. We are confident that we are headed in the right direction and that Islanders stand behind you in what you do and in our justice system.

My utmost respect and gratitude goes to all of you who have chosen a career to protect us, to provide safety to our neighbourhoods and to instill confidence in our justice system.

I thank you for your dedication and I am proud, as Attorney General and as an Islander, to have the RCMP as a partner to keeping Prince Edward Island one of the safest places in Canada.

Message from the Commanding Officer

As Commanding Officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police on Prince Edward Island, it gives me great pleasure to present to you the 2018-2019 Annual Report. The document allows us to reflect on the successes and challenges of the past year and work with our communities towards continually improving our delivery of police services.

On an ongoing basis, the RCMP collaborates with government officials with the Provincial Government, Mayors, Chiefs of Police, First Nations Chiefs, and numerous special interest community groups to ensure that our efforts are being focussed appropriately. It is encouraging to see how Islanders express their support and we are honoured to have one of the highest public trust ratings of police in Canada, something we don't take lightly. Prince Edward Island continues to be recognized as one of the safest places to live in Canada, maintaining this status provides unique opportunities and challenges to community and policing partners.

On October 17, 2018, Cannabis use was legalized. We have continued to work with our provincial, municipal and federal partners to be prepared to educate and enforce the new legislation. Road safety and the serious risk that impaired driving by alcohol and drug has on Islanders remains and ongoing priority and focus for police. With the expansion of the number of Drug Recognition Experts (DRE's) on PEI, we will continue to ensure our roads are safe.

The demographics are changing quickly on PEI, demanding continual flexibility on behalf of the policing community to provide quality services to everyone. RCMP strives to improve relationships and champion a culture of respect and inclusion with Island youth, the First Nations and Indigenous peoples of PEI, the LGBTQ2+ communities and many more.

Our employees and families have strong ties to the Island whether it's due to being born here or relocating for work - we do not simply police PEI, we live in communities right across the province. As you read this document, reflect on the commitment of the employees of PEI RCMP which you see on these pages and each day in our communities. I have been witness to their dedication to ensuring public safety, trust, building strong relationships and inclusion and I am proud to work at their side, for a better, safer province for everyone.

Thank you for you support and for working alongside us to make sure that Prince Edward Island remains the safest province in Canada.

Message from the Criminal Operations Officer

For the past three years I have had the pleasure of being the Criminal Operations Officer for Prince Edward Island. During this period, I have continued to be thoroughly impressed by the work and professionalism displayed by the RCMP officers and the pride Islanders have for their communities and respect for each other. Prince Edward Island continues to have the lowest crime rates in Canada, something for which we can all be proud of.

Road safety

The safety of the citizens of Prince Edward Island and preventing crime remains the RCMP's primary focus. Over the past year a number of initiatives, enforcement activities and education were aimed towards road safety. Ensuring that our roadways remain safe by having compliance with highway traffic regulations and reducing the number of collisions is a priority. However, the safety of everyone using the roadways is not solely a police responsibility, this falls to everyone. Safe driving is something that can be achieved and many of the transgressions seen are entirely preventable.

Public engagement

Connecting with Islanders and building relationships in our communities is a key part of policing. Over the past year the RCMP has met with and participated with communities and community groups in over 125 events. The strength of communities is clearly evident and a sense of pride.

Special initiatives

Policing is every evolving and the RCMP in PEI is keeping pace. From drones, GPS, computer analytics, and strategic assessments we continue to expand our capabilities to better serve our communities. For 2019-2020 we will continue to modernize, focus on road safety and engage with Islanders from tip to tip.

Message from the Federal Policing Officer

As the Federal Policing Criminal Operations Officer for Prince Edward Island, it is my responsibility to ensure our federal resources are working on the RCMP's federal mandate and priorities. In collaboration with our provincial, national and international partners, we gather intelligence and conduct investigations to target new trends of criminality at the highest threat to Canadians. Federal policing has no provincial boundaries, therefore, we tend to focus on threats which impact PEI and Canada. During the 2018-2019 fiscal year, federal operations were aligned in the areas of Serious and Organized Crime, National Security, Border Integrity, Protective Policing and Transnational investigations.

Our beautiful island is well known nationally and internationally as a popular tourist destination. As a result, many foreign diplomats and Heads of State tend to visit our province which we support and coordinate the protective details for their visits. Within the past year, we have increased our focus on border integrity to ensure that our extended coastline is not vulnerable. Partnerships with other federal and provincial agencies along with private industries played a role focusing on our borders. The National Security outreach program has continued to grow and expand through terrorism prevention programs, workshops and information sessions across the Island including our neighbouring Maritime provinces. Foreign actor interference is a new area of interest to federal policing and a new concept to promote awareness to Islanders. Moreover, we are monitoring and focusing on extremist groups who are active in our province. Our federal resources were involved in joint investigations with other federal units from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario and in British Columbia. The RCMP federal resources participated in several investigations in PEI supporting frontline policing and street level investigations with our specialized policing techniques.

We continue to monitor significant events involving Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, ensuring public safety is paramount with our partnerships with PEI Municipal police services and other partners.

Our goal in Federal Policing is ultimately to keep Canada, and Canadians, safe.

National strategic priorities

Serious and organized crime

The violence and corrupting effect of organized crime groups greatly impact every Canadian's right to safety and security. Using an intelligence-led, integrated approach, the RCMP focused its activities on reducing the threat and impact of organized crime which has far-reaching implications, even in Prince Edward Island. In fulfilling its mandate, the RCMP works closely with domestic and international partners in a sustained effort to dismantle criminal groups.

National security

The greatest threat to Canada's national security remained the potential for terrorist criminal activity locally and abroad. The role of the Island RCMP's National Security section is to detect, prevent, disrupt and dismantle this type of criminal activity. Our investigative successes were and are largely determined by our flexibility, leadership and collaboration with foreign and domestic law enforcement partners. We will continue with proactive measures in direct accordance with the level of threat against the citizens we are sworn to protect.

Youth

Nationally, the youth priority issues included bullying and cyberbullying, impaired and distracted driving, substance abuse and youth violence. Outreach and engagement strategies have been developed to reduce youth crime and victimization. Locally, the Island RCMP continued to rely on our provincial Youth Outreach Workers, located in each District, to provide referrals and follow up with at-risk youth in collaboration with our front-line police officers.

Aboriginal communities

Contributing to safer and healthier Aboriginal communities was one of the five strategic priorities for the RCMP in 2016-2017. Delivering culturally competent police services provided the foundation necessary to build relationships and partnerships with the Aboriginal communities we serve in Prince Edward Island. Through initiatives such as the Commanding Officer's Aboriginal Advisory Committee, the Island RCMP is in a favorable position to assist and advocate for Aboriginal communities at a local and national level.

Economic integrity

In the face of globalization and technological progress, criminals are operating beyond jurisdictions using sophisticated and continuously evolving methods to find victims. Law enforcement plays an important role in strengthening and preserving the security and economic interests of all citizens. Maintaining economic integrity, while reducing victimization, is a complex issue that the Island RCMP address in cooperation with other Police Services, law enforcement agencies, governments at all levels, the private sector and our international partners.

Provincial strategic priorities

Road safety

An increase in public education and awareness coupled with strategic traffic enforcement and joint highway safety initiatives were undertaken with various partners and stakeholders to ensure a focused and collaborative approach to combatting impaired by alcohol/drugs and distracted driving on our island roadways. Social media was also leveraged as a means of providing public education and awareness surrounding road safety issues that are faced every day by the RCMP in Prince Edward Island.

Health and wellness

This year in L Division, our Peer-to-Peer program, composed of 14 volunteers, continued to support employees of all categories who are faced with work related or personal issues. This includes one on one support as well as assisting with the organization of critical incident debriefings.

In January and February, the division provided Critical Incident Stress Management (CSIM) training to our Peer to Peer Advisors and other interested employees. This training enables employees to be better equipped to provide care and support, helping to reduce the impacts associated to critical incidents.

In May we celebrated Mental Health Week with wellness events being held in each district. This saw employees coming together for office BBQs, Pizza parties and even a feast of lobster. Daily trivia questions were also sent out with prizes for winning participants.

Once again, employees were also involved in Bell Let's Talk Day where we joined in the conversation aimed at confronting the stigma around mental illness.

Organized crime

The Island RCMP ensured concerted effort was placed on preventing and reducing the threat and impact of organized crime in Prince Edward Island. As part of this focus, tactical intelligence gathering was conducted on the various outlaw motorcycle gangs which currently operate in our province. Educational and awareness initiatives were delivered to various stakeholders and groups to inform Prince Edward Island residents on the negative and far-reaching impacts of organized and economic crimes within out island communities.

Calls for service

Prince Edward Island RCMP Calls for service

The RCMP Operational Communication Centre (OCC) is the central point of contact for the public requiring police for areas serviced by RCMP, Kensington Police Service, and Conservation Officers in Prince Edward Island. 911 Police Dispatchers receive thousands of requests for service, and monitor the safety of police officers 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Prince Edward Island RCMP Calls for service

The OCC uses an advanced Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system in support of operations. This CAD is integrated with the Provincial 911 System, Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) and police records management systems (RMS) throughout Canada and the United States. Our CAD system provides officer safety alerts, instant information on previous responses to locations and tracking of police operations related to all calls for service. CAD provides a higher level of officer safety, as well as ensuring the quickest possible response to the policing needs of Islanders.

CAD data is used to report trends in calls for service and crimes that affect the public we protect in mere seconds.

In the past fiscal year, the L Division OCC dispatched 2896 traffic offence complaints, and an additional 380 complaints of impaired driving. This information is tracked and plotted by our CAD system to show trends. RCMP members can then target areas for check points and radar enforcement.

380 Reported impaired driving complaints received and19 through the OCC.

Prince district overview

Prince District RCMP provides policing coverage to all of Prince County and part of western portion of Queens County with the exception of Summerside and Kensington. The district has two offices, West Prince located in Rosebank and East Prince in North Bedeque with a four watch general duty system, each with a Team Leader supervising the watch. The district also has a Joint Forces Operations Unit which is made up of a corporal and two constables from the RCMP, a Summerside Police Services member (full time) and a Kensington Police services member (part-time). Prince District also includes Police Services Dog "Fleck" and handler Cst. Thomsen, a Youth Outreach Worker and a Crime Reduction Analyst.

Organized Crime continues to be a priority in the consultation process, with concentration on drug trafficking and intelligence gathering. Our Joint Forces Operational Unit consists of RCMP, Summerside Police Services and Kensington Police Service members. As an intelligence led organization it is incumbent on each of us to use all the tools at our disposal to combat organized crime and keep our communities safe. They have had great success this past year with 47 warrants, seizing a large quantity of drugs and guns. As a result, this work keeps our communities safe and Cpl. Nicholas Doyle wanamed the Crime Stopper's Police Officer of the Year for leading this challenge.

Prince District provides policing services to approximately 30,000 citizens, encompassing a large number of communities and extending over a large geographical area. Four communities: Borden-Carleton, O'Leary, Alberton and Tignish have Enhanced Service Agreements (ESA) with the RCMP and a Community Tripartite Agreement with Lennox Island First Nation. The Province of Prince Edward Island is contracted through Transport Canada to provide policing services to the Confederation Bridge, which are provided by Prince District personnel. Prince District encompasses from North Cape to as far East as New London and DeSable. Engaging with our Communities

During the 2018/2019 consultative process Prince District policing priorities were determined by taking into consideration; divisional, provincial and local issues and concerns. Police/Community Relations were enhanced through consultation and meetings with communities within the district and by using targeted enforcement, increasing visibility through having a liaison named for each ESA and having members assigned to attend community events or stop by community offices during their shifts to discuss and deal with any concerns. In the past year employees of Prince District attended: St. Anne's Sunday in Lennox Island as well as the POW WOW held in the fall, which was also attended by the Commanding Officer, C/Supt. Ebert. Employees also attended a number of Remembrance Day ceremonies in various communities in Prince County.

Road safety

Traffic enforcement, checkpoints and pro-active media releases were part of the response in dealing with this ongoing issue. A media release targeting issues based on the time of the year were used to come up with the topics for the article each month. In addition, members of Prince District have also conducted joint checkpoints with Highway Safety in an effort to keep our roadways safe. Furthermore, School Bus Safety was stepped up by pro-active patrols and a number of Summary Offence Tickets being issued for passing school buses.

Reduce and prevent crime

In order to provide a better understanding of the day-to-day operations of Prince District and strengthen relationships with communities a weekly media release is put out each Monday of the number of calls for service, with a brief synopsis of some of the calls for service. These weekly media releases have included warnings to the public of phone scams, preventing possible frauds and financial losses. The weekly media releases have been well received by the public and have created a better understanding of what RCMP members deal with on a regular basis. The media releases have encouraged the public to call the police and report problems and to help them prevent becoming victims of crimes themselves. These tips have ranged from cautioning the public about not leaving valuables in their vehicle and locking their doors. CRA, Bank and other scams have been featured with directions on how to spot them and to report them. Each media release asks the public if they have any knowledge or information to provide the police to call the RCMP or Crime Stoppers. In addition, talks to senior groups have been given in a number of communities on Scams targeting seniors and the public in general.

Prince District RCMP continues to take pride in the communities it polices. This was demonstrated throughout the year in the form of presentations to groups such as youth and seniors which were very well received. Prince District was active with foot patrols throughout the year to various senior complexes, legions, hockey rinks and community halls. Prince District employees proactively organized food bank drives, Christmas hampers for families in need, including presents for those without during the holidays. Police visibility and community relations continue to be a priority within Prince District and have noticeably improved over the past year and we hope to continue to build stronger relationships with the communities that we service.

Looking to the future, the employees of Prince District are dedicated to their duties and strive to provide the highest quality of service by improving their abilities through training to better serve the public. I would like to take this time to recognize all the employees of Prince District RCMP and applaud the great work they have done this past year.

Special initiatives

Cst. Barnaby during the past year has been teaching Fancy Shawl dancing to the youth in Lennox Island, she has been encouraging youth to become physically active and take part in this native tradition.

S/Sgt. Hewitt has been working with the Cultural Director on Lennox Island and has provided training to a group of eleven women on Lennox on traditional Moose and Caribou Hair Tufting Artwork. In addition, cultural training was set up for members from across the division to take part in cultural training at Lennox Island. The first session was Drum making, which involved creating a drum, while the instructors talked about the significance of the drum, and sang traditional Mi'Kmaq songs. These activities fall under the RCMP Reconciliation Working Group's mandate to begin healing the relationship between the First Nations and the RCMP, by introducing employees to the various Indigenous Cultures across Canada.

Queens district overview

Queens District RCMP is responsible for policing a population of approximately 43,000 residents which includes Queens County rural communities and the municipalities of Stratford and Cornwall, which have Municipal Policing Services Contracts. Queens District is comprised of four detachments: the Queens District Office at Maypoint, Stratford Municipal Detachment, the Abegweit First Nations Community Office in Scotchfort and a seasonal Community Office in Cavendish. The total personnel complement in Queens District is 40 employees. In addition to the 28 Regular Member positions and 5 Public Service Employees, Queens District has a Court Liaison Officer, a Provincial Youth Outreach Worker, and a Crime Reduction Analyst from CISPEI. Island RCMP's Police Dog Service and Forensic Identification Section both work from the Queens District Office.

The policing priorities for Queens District are identified through consultation with our communities, the Province and with consideration given to priorities identified by RCMP National HQ in Ottawa. The issues of concern for most, if not all, communities in Queens District have remained virtually unchanged for several years now. These priorities include: 1. Contributing to Road Safety with an emphasise on impaired driving, 2. Increasing police and community relations with a move toward having our members and activities being more visible within our communities.

Prince Edward Island remains one of the safest provinces in Canada in which to reside. The crime severity index in PEI is roughly 20% lower than the national average. Unfortunately, instances of impaired driving in PEI are about 40% higher than the national average. Queens District members concentrated efforts on educational awareness and enforcement initiatives designed to reduce instances of impaired driving. Queens District members charged 56 drivers with criminal driving offences (impaired) in 2018.

Engaging with our communities

We provided information and education sessions to students and community members on topics such as alcohol and drug abuse, cyber-safety, fraud and theft prevention. Educational media releases were used to provide information to community members concerning responsible driving, theft from motor vehicles and safety around school graduation parties. Queens District members were actively involved in all schools in our area and participated in numerous community programs and events to foster police/community relationships.

This year we had a number of successful initiatives, including our work with First Nations youth as well as numerous traffic related initiatives including directed efforts in partnership with MADD Canada, several area high schools, PEI Highway Safety for National Impaired Driving Enforcement week and Operation Impact during the holiday season. Queens District members also partnered with Ocean 100 radio for the annual 12 Days of Christmas program where a different officer delivered a radio message promoting sober driving each day for 12 days over the holiday period. The Citizens on Patrol (C.O.P) programs in both Stratford and Cornwall continued to be a huge benefit to our policing efforts in these communities allowing community members to play a safe but active roll in helping us keep their communities safe year round.

Road safety

Impaired driving by alcohol and/or drugs remains a priority within Queens District. The decriminalization of marihuana did not appear to have a huge impact on the number of reported or investigated cases. Queens District members will be vigilant again this coming year in their efforts to catch and prevent impaired drivers. Our focus will once again be two-pronged and have both enforcement and education components.

Queens District RCMP strives to be accountable in our service delivery and respond to the concerns of the communities and individuals we serve. Our team approach is to understand what our communities are asking for and allow them to guide our policing objectives based on their needs. This is especially important within our contracted municipalities of Cornwall, Stratford and Abegweit First Nation.

Reduce and prevent crime

As employees of Canada's national police force, and in serving the citizens of Prince Edward Island, we take pride in our contributions and continue to work hard at strengthening our strategic partnerships. This past year we continued to work with young people on issues such as prescription drug abuse, anti-bullying, and internet safety. We are involved in the communities we serve. Our Provincial Youth Intervention Outreach Worker, Abegweit First Nation's Officer and School Liaison Officers work closely with groups such as Mothers against Drinking and Driving to lead initiatives such as the National Prescription Drug Drop-off Day and Pink Ribbon anti- bullying campaign. The efforts dedicated to these programs show our commitment to the young people in our communities and in our community involvement overall.

Queens District in partnership with many provincial and private industry partners took part in the 10th Annual Cavendish Beach Music Festival this year. It remains one of our biggest yearly commitments where planning and organizing for an event bringing 25,000 people each night demonstrates a significant level of cooperation and community involvement. Our employees have contributed several hundred hours of volunteer time to various initiatives, including coaching, refereeing, participation on local volunteer boards and involvement on school advisory committees.

Moving forward, our priorities will remain focused on making our roads safer, preventing crime in our communities and strengthening the relationships that make PEI such a wonderful place to live. On behalf of all employees of Queens District, we thank our community partners, stakeholders and members of the general public for their continued assistance and support. I also want to recognize our employees, our men and women in uniform and all those in supporting roles for their consistent pursuit of excellence in service delivery.

Kings district overview

The Kings District RCMP provides 24-hour policing coverage to all of Kings County and the south-east portion of Queens County. There are twenty-four police officers and four public servants based out of the two offices in Souris and Brudenell. In Souris there are seven uniformed officers and a full-time public servant. The office in Brudenell has a compliment of seventeen uniformed officers, two plain-clothes general investigation section officers and three public servants. The employees working in Kings District put forward a considerable effort to provide a professional and competent policing service to the residents of this area. There is a great deal of varied experience among these employees who are all quite happy to be working in this part of the Province. The employees of Kings District are very involved in their communities with many of them involved in coaching activities, donating their time to work with local organizations and making time to get involved in local events.

One important aspect of providing a quality policing service is ensuring a strong working relationship with our partner agencies which helps to increase our visibility as well as target specific problem areas. We regularly work with PEI Highway Safety in joint enforcement initiatives where we pool our resources to conduct checkpoint operations or enforcement plans to improve the safety of Island highways. We are able to conduct large scale checkpoints which enables us to interact with a large number of drivers in a safe manner. The ability to work together enables both agencies to work effectively in high traffic areas. We regularly work alongside Child and Family Services to investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect and this relationship enables us to provide a much more thorough approach this this important issue. The Kings District RCMP also work closely with the Provincial Conservation Officers in conducting joint patrols. Our mandates are different but this cooperation allows us to share our resources to be more effective in respective roles.

Engaging with our communities

Each year the RCMP in Kings District seeks input from local government and community groups to identify areas of concern where the police could focus extra attention. These regional priorities are included along with national and provincial priorities to develop our Annual Performance Plan (APP). The APP identifies activities to make District priorities in the coming year. This year those priority issues were in relation to community engagement and visibility of police, road safety, reducing the abuse of illicit drugs, and violence in relationships. There were initiatives developed that included measurable results that are closely monitored throughout the year. Each employee of the RCMP in Kings District plays a part in the APP and has goals each year to work towards achieving a positive result in each of these areas. These priorities enable us to track our progress in these specific areas while also addressing our regular calls for service and conduct investigations into various incidents.

In the past year the RCMP has made a considerable effort to ensure we were in attendance at as many community events or festivals as possible as this provides an invaluable opportunity to interact with members of the public who may not normally encounter police in their daily lives. There were 68 events in the past year attended by the RCMP within the District and this is something that the officers all enjoy being involved in. There is also at least one police officer assigned to each school in the District and they maintain regular contact throughout the year and look for opportunities to be involved in school activities such as assemblies or presentations to students.

The Kings District RCMP has an Enhanced Service Agreement in place with the towns of Three Rivers and Souris. Each month there is a report presented to Council showing the policing statistics for the month as well as a description of any noteworthy incidents that may have taken place that month. This enables the police and municipality to regularly share information and discuss any new crime trends. The RCMP has an excellent working relationship with the Mayor and Councils of these Towns and has appreciated the support received from each community.

Road safety

The safety of Island highways and motorists has always been a high priority of the RCMP in Kings District and the efforts made to combat impaired driving, distracted driving and poor driving habits are always ongoing. In the past year the number of checkpoints conducted in this District was increased from 92 in 2017-2018 to 198 in 2018-2019. The number of interactions that the police are able to have with motorists enable us to help get our message of sober and responsible driving out to the public as well as ensure we have a visible presence on Island roads. We have made an effort to encourage the public to contact the police to report on possible impaired or dangerous drivers which enable us to be more effective at combatting these incidents. The use of local media has been invaluable in getting this message out and has resulted in an increase of reporting from the public. The number of drivers that were checked by police for possible impaired driving was 166 in 2018-2019 and this resulted in 74 individuals charged with impaired driving offences.

Reduce and prevent crime

The Kings District RCMP have a Crime Reduction Analyst who is assigned to spend several days a week working in the District. This person is responsible for identifying ongoing crime trends in real time as well as identifying prolific offenders. There is a benefit to this work in that it enables us to target those individuals who are having the greatest negative affect on the communities we serve and enables police to have the most up to date information to assist our enforcement activities. This analyst has also been utilized in ongoing investigations to help process data from phone records, or text messaging, create timelines of incidents, or create detailed criminal history of charged persons who are being brought before the Court. In recent months they have done extensive work with ongoing inter-provincial fraud investigations as well as compiling information on property crime in this area.

The RCMP officers and public service employees who work in Kings District are a dedicated group of individuals who have a genuine interest in keeping the homes and highways of this area as safe as possible. There is a great working relationship between the RCMP and the communities we serve which is vital to ensuring the police can address problems or issues in a timely manner.

Special initiatives

One area that continues to be a concern each year is the frequency and sophistication of identify theft and subsequent frauds which are reported. Each year too many people become the targets of criminals who use a multitude of tactics to take money from honest individuals. In recent months there has been individuals who were targeted over the phone and inadvertently provided enough information for these criminals to open bank account and obtain money illegally. There have been incidents where certain individuals contact targets and pose as employees of the Canada Revenue Agency, or other government body, and tell these people they owe money for various reasons. Some of these individuals have been threatened with arrest by the police if they do not give their credit card numbers to the caller. Unfortunately, some people provide their financial or personal information to these callers and can lose a substantial amount of money. The Kings District RCMP have been conducting presentations to educate the public on this type of crime, and will continue to do so in the upcoming year. These types of investigations can be difficult to investigate because these calls can originate from anywhere in the world.

Major crime unit

The Prince Edward Island RCMP Major Crime Unit has the responsibility of providing assistance to the three Island RCMP Districts with investigations that are more complex in nature, or that require a significant amount of resources to investigate and manage.

In 2018-2019 the Major Crime Unit responded to a variety of criminal code investigations ranging from frauds to sexual assaults to sudden deaths. The Major Crime Unit spent a great deal of focus this year assisting PEI's three districts with sexual assault investigations. The RCMP not only recognizes the serious toll that these crimes have on the individuals affected, but also the toll on society as a whole. The work done by the MCU members on these files helped to ensure that these investigations were completed to the highest standard possible.

The Major Crime Unit also investigated a significant number of Internet Child Exploitation cases during 2018-2019. The internet, at its best, is a vast repository of information and an incredible communication tool. At its worst, the internet is a medium for criminals to prey upon societies more vulnerable persons, including children. The Major Crime Unit assists the Prince Edward Island RCMP Districts with their Internet Child Exploitation investigations and also takes on cases which are referred to the unit by the National Child Exploitation Coordination Centre. One Major Crime Investigator is currently assigned to investigating these types of files full time. In the interest of improving the Prince Edward Island RCMP's response to Internet Child Exploitation crimes, a second Internet Child Exploitation investigator position has been created and a successful applicant has been chosen for the position. This investigator will join the Major Crime Unit in the fall of 2019.

The Major Crime Unit also encompasses the Island RCMP's Digital Forensic Services. Previously known as the Technological Crime Unit, the lone Digital Forensic Services Investigator provides an invaluable service to the RCMP on PEI. The Digital Forensic Services investigator has a wide range of duties, not the least of which is to locate and secure evidence from electronic devices such as cellular phones, computers and vehicles. The Digital Forensic Services investigator also spends time educating other investigators on PEI on the ever changing technological capabilities of the section as well as criminal trends in the area of cyber crime and criminal advancements in technology used to facilitate their crimes.

The Major Crime Unit also plays a role in helping to educate the citizens of Prince Edward Island through presentations and community engagement. In the 2018-2019 fiscal year a number of presentations on topics surrounding internet safety and frauds and scams were made to a number of different community groups, including seniors, Indigenous groups and youth.

As the Major Crime Unit looks forward to 2019-2020, the unit remains focused on providing the best possible investigational assistance to the District RCMP offices on Prince Edward Island. The Major Crime Unit will continue to focus on enhancing its ability to investigate serious crime matters in the province through additional education and training for its investigators. The Major Crime Unit is committed to working with the District RCMP offices and partner agencies throughout Prince Edward Island in order to solve serious crime matters and improve the overall safety of Prince Edward Islanders.

Forensic identification section

The Forensic Identification Section (FIS) is centrally located at the Queens District Maypoint Detachment and currently consists of a Forensic Specialist and a Forensic Apprentice. Five general duty members whom have additional training in crime scene examination, evidence collection, photography, and fingerprinting provide additional support in their roles as trained Property Crime Examiners. FIS provides support service to all three RCMP Districts, specialized units, as well as our Federal, Provincial, and Municipal policing partners. Forensic services provided by FIS include crime scene examination, photography and videography, DNA and trace evidence collection, physical evidence comparisons, and fingerprint identification. FIS Members are available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

Overall requests for FIS service increased in 2018 for the second year in a row, combining for a 49% increase since 2016. Throughout the year FIS assisted on various types of calls from the simplest of thefts to wide ranging drug projects, shooting incidents, and homicides. FIS Members found themselves working in numerous locations in 2018 including private residences, businesses, parks, beaches, on the water, and occasionally in the morgue. Break & Enters and theft related occurrences again led the way by combining for more than half of all calls.

Fingerprints continue to be the leading method of identification as FIS Members identified more persons via their fingerprints than any other year on record.

Police dog services

L Division has a two member Police Dog Service. Cpl. Marc Periard is in charge of the unit and has PDS Jule, who graduated from the PDS training centre in Alberta in September 2018. Jule is a 2 1/2 years old female police dog that is trained for general duty policing and drug detection. The other member is Cst. Kristian Thomsen, who has PDS Fleck. PDS Fleck is 6 years of age, and is trained in both in general duty policing, and in searching for explosives. The PDS teams provide the province with 24/7 service for all three RCMP Districts and the three Municipal forces.

Having 2 PDS team in the province has ensured that PDS service is always available.

Police Dog Jule has only been in service for 8 months and has already proven to be successful in locating a large amount of contraband money during a drug search of a residence. She also rescued/saved two individuals when, on two occasions, she located males suffering from mental health issues who had walked into a wooded area with the intent of taking their own life. Jule assisted in locating and apprehending both males who were taken to hospital for treatment.

At any given time, PDS may be involved in supporting front line police officers, searching for lost persons, tracking those who have fled from crime scenes, searching for evidence or lost property, assisting VIP protection duties and supporting the Emergency Response Team, Ground Search and Rescue, Major Crime Unit, Tactical Troop and the Provincial Correctional Centre.

In 2018, PDS responded to approximately 150 calls for service. Calls included assisted in locating individuals with mental health issues, lost persons, various Criminal Code offences where a suspect departed on foot, searches related to drugs, and VIP visits where an explosives searching dog was required.

Physical and mental health is a priority for the handlers to avoid injuries that would result in time away from work.

Remotely piloted aerial systems

There are five RCMP members posted across the province who are trained in the use of drones. Each of the officers trained as an operator has access to a drone.

Over the past year, we have seen a significant increase in the number of calls for the assistance of a drone operator. Calls that drone operators have responded to include searching for missing or lost persons, and assisting the Ground Search and Rescue Team, aerial photography of collision scenes, aerial photography for emergency response plans, or at special events, aerial photography of major crime scenes, and assisting in the search for persons who may be a danger to themselves or others.

Members trained as drone operators assist in educating front line members, and the public, in relation to the Transport Canada drone regulations, and in enforcing the laws in regards to the proper operation of drones.

In the last six months, the RCMP has acquired two new DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise drones which are equipped for use by emergency services. Along with FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) capability, these drones can be equipped with a spotlight, or speaker, to assist in locating and communicating individuals we are looking for.

Drones are a safe, convenient, cost effective way to conduct a variety of searches and obtain aerial views or photos.

Communications and media relations

Working closely with provincial counterparts as well as the National RCMP Communications office at Headquarters in Ottawa, the Island RCMP Communications and Media Relations Unit collaboratively provides assistance in delivering policing messages to Islanders. Working in support of all front line officers and specialized units to further the work of RCMP to stop and solve crime and foster healthy communities is the daily priority. We do this with the strong support of Islanders who assist and share our information regularly to further policing efforts and safer communities.

The Unit provides strategic support in planning and distribution of advice and guidance towards strengthening relationships with various audiences, offering suggestions towards raising awareness and improving understanding of the RCMP policing programs, objectives, and actions taken within Island communities.

Issues management, media relations, internal communications, website content and media evaluation support to senior management, detachments, various units and any special investigation/task forces created for policing projects are daily activities within the unit. Staff promote the work of the RCMP on Prince Edward Island through strategic support in planning and operational means to distribute information. Using the technologies within social media to promote the information posted on the RCMP Prince Edward Island website, concise and correct information is delivered quickly to both media and Islanders directly.

The Communications and Media Relations Unit works diligently to ensure that the people of Prince Edward Island are informed about activities and issues in a timely manner.

Intelligence-led policing

L Division RCMP's criminal intelligence program is co-located with Criminal Intelligence Service Prince Edward Island (CISPEI) at the headquarters building in Charlottetown. The year 2019 marks CISPEI's 10th anniversary of providing integrated intelligence service to the law enforcement community of PEI. While several changes have occurred since its inception, the main objective for effective policing in Prince Edward Island remains the ability of police agencies to cultivate and share intelligence.

Due to the Island's small geographic size, the criminal element continually overlaps policing jurisdictions, making it crucial to help ensure intelligence is being produced and shared in a timely manner. The intelligence cycle (Plan/Direct - Collect - Collate - Analyze - Disseminate - Re-evaluate) allows for a clear and measurable way for law enforcement to reallocate resources by targeting and utilizing them in the most effective and efficient manner.

Seated, from right, are: Chief Superintendent Jennifer Ebert, Commanding Officer of the RCMP in PEI and the Chair of the PEI Association of Chiefs of Police; Jordan Brown, Minister of Justice and Public Safety; and Corporal John FitzGerald, CISPEI supervisor. Standing, from left, are: Chief Paul Smith, Charlottetown Police Services; Chief Lewie Sutherland, Kensington Police Services; Deputy Chief Sinclair Walker, Summerside Police Services; and Inspector Jean-Guy Bourque, CISPEI bureau director and RCMP federal policing criminal operations.

Crime analysts continue to identify crime patterns and develop evidence-based recommendations to police commanders regarding the deployment of resources. This assists in ensuring a more focused approach to reducing crime and victimization across Prince Edward Island. The RCMP's criminal intelligence program continues to work closely with and provide strategic and tactical analytical assistance to the RCMP's Federal Serious and Organized Crime (FSOC) unit, as well as joint forces projects.

Additionally, CISPEI continues to develop relationships with its law enforcement partners, including the provincial Department of Justice and Public Safety. This partnership has grown to more than 30 partners with whom we share intelligence. CISPEI hosts biannual partner meetings which bring together partner and stakeholder agencies from across the Atlantic region. The intelligence program continues to support law enforcement effort respecting the presence of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs (OMCs) in the province, helping to ensure front-line police and law enforcement partners are aware of the OMC landscape and its effects within PEI, the Maritimes and across Canada.

The recent creation of a new High Risk Offender (HRO) Coordinator position will support CISPEI's work with provincial partners respecting the management of high risk offenders in the province. The HRO coordinator will support efforts to provide timely updates to these partners respecting the criminal behaviour and sentencing of HROs who are having negative interactions with law enforcement and are at continued risk to reoffend.

CISPEI prepared an annual Provincial Threat Assessment (PTA) which identifies criminal trends, illicit markets, and organized crime groups that have a negative impact in our communities. The PTA assists the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) and senior police managers by providing an assessment on the relative levels of threat facing Island communities and citizens.

Information management and information technology

Information Management/Information Technology (IMIT) continued to focus on its mandate of providing quality technology solutions to members while ensuring data holdings are accurate and compliant with RCMP Information Management (IM) legislation, policies and best practices.

During 2018-2019, specific to administrative information life-cycle management, Information Management Services (IMS) focussed on empowering employees with the tools and knowledge required to effectively manage administrative records and employee documentation in accordance with policy and legislation. IMS continued to oversee the management of electronic data holdings and the clean up of information including the onboarding of several units to the GCDocs platform. IMS also completed several awareness and training activities with various RCMP L Division employee units.

Specific to ORMS, the unit continued to ensure data submitted to the Canada Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) branch of Statistics Canada met statistical requirements under the Federal Statistics Act. ORMS facilitated numerous training sessions as well as conducted quality assurance reviews ensuring the accuracy of information reported in our records management system was complete and compliant with RCMP and Government of Canada policies. As of June 2018, L Division ORMS has signed a contract to provide direct ORMS support to V (Nunavut) Division remotely. This new role has brought two full time permanent ORMS Analyst/Trainer positions that are currently being staffed. From an Information Technology perspective, IT Operations worked closely with our neighbouring divisions in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to increase radio interoperability between the provinces. A traveling member leaving PEI now has continuous radio service throughout the maritime provinces. This provides a level of functionality and flexibility which is unparalleled elsewhere in the country.

Also during 2018-2019, IT Operations worked on several upgrades to assist L Division employees in their duties. IT operations assisted a national working group on preparations for the testing and deployment of Microsoft Windows 10 as well as upgraded many of the Division's employees to Android smartphones. Both of these upgrades will be integral in the RCMP's vision of a 'connected' employee in the years to come.

Divisional overview

Island RCMP District Comparisons - april 1, 2018 to march 31, 2019

RCMP 2018-2019 Final expenditures

Salaries, Operational and Maintenance Costs ^{Note de bas de page 1}

• Federal and international operations: $ 2,674,780
• Community, contract and aboriginal policing
  • Provincial/Territorial policing: $ 16,305,861
  • Municipal policing: $ 1,170,971
  • Aboriginal policing: $ 363,137
• Internal services: $ 2,311,851
• Total: $ 22,826,600

Capital funds, infrastructure and construction ^{Note de bas de page 2}

• Federal and international operations: $ 237,359
• Community, contract and aboriginal policing:
  • Provincial/Territorial policing: $ 695,921
  • Municipal policing: $ 109,179
  • Aboriginal policing: $ 0
• Internal services: $ 49,929
• Total: $ 1,092,388

Total expenditures: $ 23,918,988

RCMP Veterans' Association

The Prince Edward Island Division of the RCMP Veterans' Association has 70 active, 14 life, 33 associate, and an honourary member. The Commanding Officer of L Division, C/Supt. Jennifer Ebert, is the honourary president of the PEI Division.

The PEI Division maintains a close relationship with the serving members of L Division with serving and retired members participating in social events organized by both entities. As well, a member of the PEI Division serves on the L Division Social Committee and another serves on the CO's Employee Advisory Committee.

The PEI Division also contributes to the Association nationally with Peter Sorenson being treasurer and a director of the Association and Ruby Burns being the national advocate and a director of the Association.

The PEI Division has five members who inspect each known gravesite on PEI for former members of the NWMP, the RNWMP, and the RCMP. Each site is recorded on the division website with a photo of the headstone and the GPS coordinates of the site. All recommended repairs are funded by L Division.

The PEI Division organized the 2018 Police and Peace Officers Memorial Service which was held on Sunday, September 30 at Trinity United Church in Summerside.

On June 21, 2019, two members of the PEI Division, Reg. No. 25186, Fred Foster and Reg. No. 26493, Llew Robinson, received the prestigious Ferne Stevenson Caregiver Award from the Alzheimer's Society of Canada. This is the highest award presented by the Alzheimer's Society and it recognizes persons or organizations who exemplify excellence in person-centred care while promoting programs and services for those affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementia. Fred and Llew volunteered to provide assistance to the late, Reg. No. 21487, Ian Oland and his wife, Heather, during the period when Ian was in the late stages of this insidious disease. They worked as a team and made regular visits to Ian and took him to as many events as his medical condition permitted. Fred and Llew also received the 2018 William Edward 'Ted' Whelan Award for their outstanding contributions to the PEI Division over the years.

Date modified:

2020-07-24