Police Week 2008

RCMP Commanding Officers Message

I am pleased to take this opportunity during Canadian Police Week to comment on behalf of the men and women who proudly call themselves members and employees of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in the Province of British Columbia.

Since 1950, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has continuously served as your provincial police force, serving hundreds of communities including 196 First Nation communities. We also provide Municipal Police Services in all but 11 communities throughout the province. There are over 9,500 RCMP employees here in our province, which is representative of approximately one third of the RCMP nationwide. On the front line and behind the scenes, these employees work hard to contribute to public safety and security.

We cannot reach our mutual objective of having safe homes and safe communities without an ongoing partnership between the police and you, the citizens of the communities we serve. Working together, we can identify problems and reach effective solutions by focusing on preventing and reducing crime. I extend our collective appreciation to all our community partners and, in particular, the thousands of RCMP volunteers who assist in the overall delivery of police services.

During Canadian Police Week, May 11-17, 2008, many RCMP detachments throughout British Columbia are planning events. I encourage you to attend these local events and learn more about your police services and how you can help to maintain the safety and security of your community.

Gary Bass, O.O.M.
Deputy Commissioner, Pacific Region &
Commanding Officer, "E" Division (B.C.)