Sunshine Coast residents have noticed an increase in police presence in the area in late April, and police are addressing the causes, including an ongoing investigation in Madeira Park.
An April 25 press release from the Sunshine Coast RCMP said, “The Sunshine Coast RCMP will always have public safety as our first and foremost priority and immediately update the public should there be a public safety risk.”
“I acknowledge the increased presence of police on the coast can be unsettling for people,” Staff Sgt. Jennifer Prunty said in an email to local media.
The Emergency Response Team is on the Coast for an ongoing investigation in Madeira Park this week. Details about the investigation were not included in the press release, but Coast Reporter confirmed five police vehicles on a residential road in the early afternoon of April 25. The officer on scene provided no comment.
On April 25, police were called to a domestic disturbance involving an armed and barricaded individual in Gibsons. The Emergency Response Team members who were already on the Coast assisted. Prunty said there were no shots fired, though police used loud flash bang noise makers to arrest a male. No one was injured, and the suspect was taken into custody.
The increased police presence on the Sunshine Coast can also be attributed the Integrated Road Safety Unit conducting a traffic enforcement project with BC Highway Patrol and local RCMP members last week, said Prunty in the email.
The traffic enforcement used automatic licence plate recognition to find infractions, such as prohibited drivers, no insurance and someone driving without a driver’s licence. Four prohibited drivers and one suspended driver were found, and several violation tickets issued, said the release.
With files from Connie Jordison
.jpg;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)