Police fight for unit that targets high-profile offenders

The Regional Crime Unit will likely keep targeting Greater Victoria’s most active criminals, even with Victoria police possibly pulling its officers.

The future of the RCU was in doubt after Victoria police and the Island District RCMP indicated they would abandon the Langford-based unit. Police officials decided Wednesday the provincially-funded RCMP officers would stay on.

“The Victoria Police Department are a big part of the Regional Crime Unit. (The Island District RCMP staying on) means the difference of being able to continue,” said Staff Sgt. Gary Schenk, commander of the RCU and a Saanich Police officer. “The outlook is very good for the unit now. (Many area police chiefs) are working hard behind the scenes to save the unit.”

If the Victoria police cuts from the RCU, Schenk said he hopes that the Island District RCMP would start helping fund its operating budget.

Currently the Island District RCMP pays the salary of its two officers and the crime analyst, but doesn’t contribute to the overall budget.

The 2009 budget for the RCU was $1.7 million, with 44 per cent from the Victoria police. West Shore RCMP contributes about 10 per cent.

“(West Shore RCMP) are still involved,” said Insp. Mark Fisher, commander of the West Shore RCMP. “We’ve been very happy with what we’ve received (from the RCU). It would be my preference to see it continue.”

The RCU focuses on investigations on the most prolific offenders in the Captial Region, Schenk said.

The premise behind the unit is five per cent of the criminals are responsible for 95 per cent of crimes. The unit specializes in property crimes, such as commercial and residential break-ins, auto theft and identity theft.

“This is the level of crime that impacts the greatest number of people,” Schenk said. “The guy who broke into your car is breaking into eight to 12 cars every night and that will continue until he is caught.”

While Schenk is new to the unit, he said over the past 18 months the RCU has seen a high number of arrests, charges and a significant recovery of stolen property.

“I am a strong believer in the mandate of the unit,” Schenk said. “This unit is largely a surveillance unit. We identify criminals, find them, follow them and very frequently find them in the act.”

In the past month the RCU arrested a man it was following when he cashed a bogus cheque. During the arrest the officers uncovered a large quantity of stolen IDs and credit cards.

”Each of those IDs in the van (represents) a victim of theft,” Schenk said.

The RCU also teamed up with West Shore RCMP to apprehend two dangerous men at the Swartz Bay ferry terminal who were making death threats against a Colwood woman in early September.

In one case last month the RCU officers partnered with Saanich Police and focused on “very active property thieves.”

The RCU and Saanich Police were able to recover one stolen car on the West Shore and the other in Victoria. Both cars were returned to their owners.

“(One offender) has already plead guilty and is currently in jail. We consider that a success because he is not out stealing cars right now,” Schenk said.

The RCU operates with four officers from Victoria Police Department, four from Saanich Police and two from the Island District RCMP. Oak Bay police, Central Saanich police and West Shore RCMP each supply one officer.

“Prolific offenders by nature are transient. One day they could be in the West Shore committing offenses and then the next day they are in Saanich,” Schenk said. “The unit is very regional and no other unit works across jurisdictions from Sooke to Sidney.”

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