Domestic violence has jumped 36 per cent in Kamloops in the past four years.
But part of that increase is due to more incidents being reported, the city鈥檚 top cop said Monday.
Supt. Brad Mueller told the co-ordinated enforcement task force that he鈥檒l be asking for a new, full-time officer position to deal specifically with domestic abuse. There is a position now coming out of the regular budget.
Coun. Marg Spina wondered if there is a way to alert the various agencies dealing with abused women about repeat domestic offenders.
Insp. Jennie Latham said the agencies would be aware of chronic offenders, but a warning can鈥檛 be put out publicly unless the person has been declared a dangerous offender.
In some cases, the courts require an offender with a pattern of domestic violence to advise a probation officer of any romantic relationships, and the other person in the relationship may be advised of the offender鈥檚 past.
鈥淚t鈥檚 too bad we don鈥檛 have a better way to protect our vulnerable population,鈥� said Spina.
Mueller listed domestic abuse as his No. 1 strategic priority.
The good news, said the new police superintendent, is that in the last quarter (July 1 to Sept. 30), there were no domestic-related homicides in Kamloops.
During that period, the Integrated Case Assessment Team reviewed 238 files and is monitoring 12 of them.
Mueller said the RCMP is seeing a rise in calls for service in almost every area and priorities will have to be set because police can鈥檛 do everything.
