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Port, Sandspit articulate priorities for police

Port Clements council members told RCMP Cpl. Glen Breckon Monday night that their top policing concerns are drug abuse and road safety, while in Sandspit, members of MIMC want police to concentrate on cooperating with the Conservation Officer Service, being involved with the community and continuing to work on speed reduction.In Port, Cpl. Breckon was at the March 3 council meeting to hear about the village's priorities as he prepares the detachment's annual performance plan for 2014-15.Reducing the abuse of drugs has long been the Masset detachment's number one priority, and mayor Wally Cheer said it remains a top concern for Port. But the issue of road safety was the one that generated the most discussion around the council table, with every council member sharing concerns about vehicles, particularly loaded logging trucks that drive along Bayview Avenue, Port's main road.Cpl. Breckon said logging trucks have generated a lot of calls to the RCMP lately, and the police have been working with the Ministry of Transportation and the commercial traffic division on enforcement.Councillor Kazamir Falconbridge said he would like the RCMP to add emergency preparedness to the list of priorities. Port does not have a regular police presence, and Mr. Falconbridge said he would like the RCMP to make sure that at least two officers are dispatched to the village in the event of a major disaster to provide security.Cpl. Breckon said the detachment has a disaster plan and he will make sure that it addresses Port's concerns.Other councillors urged the RCMP to conduct more foot patrols and generally spend more time in Port.In Sandspit at the MIMC meeting Monday evening (March 3), Sgt. Scott Hromdnik of the Queen Charlotte detachment said it had been a quiet and uneventful three months for police in Sandspit. The community had just 17 calls for service in October, November and December, down from 30 in the previous three months.Following his presentation, MIMC members discussed briefly what priorities they'd like RCMP to concentrate on in the coming year, and agreed that working with the CO service to stop poaching is important, as is trying to get drivers to obey the speed limits in town, as well as having the police continue their involvement with the community through high-profile events like Logger Sports Day and Remembrance Day.