Delta police Chief Neil Dubord laid out a series of policing priorities for South Delta Probus Club members, saying he expects it to be a busy year for the department.
Speaking at their monthly meeting last week at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn, Dubord spoke about the ongoing fentanyl crisis, youth and senior crime, traffic issues and community building.
He said Delta was front and centre in the drug crisis last September when nine young people overdosed on suspected fentanyl-laced cocaine during a 20-minute span.
"We don't think these things happen here, but it impacts us tremendously."
And the drug crisis has an effect on other crime, namely property offences, Dubord said.
"We have seen a huge rash of thefts where thieves are breaking into vehicles or accessing unlocked vehicles and taking change, sunglasses, garage door openers - anything that is inside the vehicle. A lot of that is being caused by this fentanyl crisis.
"They are looking for their next fix. These folks are looking to steal to then get quick cash at a pawn shop to buy drugs. So although we don't think it impacts us, it does. Drugs have many impacts in our community beyond what you might see on the surface."
Dubord said Tsawwassen also has the dubious reputation of being an "easy target" for thieves.
"We've interviewed some people that we have caught stealing, whether it is a break-in to a house or a break-in to a car, and they say we love Tsawwassen - everyone leaves everything in their car and all the doors are open. It's a community where they can come and do a whole bunch of crime and then leave. We need to all do better to change that."
Dubord said Delta is lucky in that it has a very low youth crime rate, but even still, officers are committed to reaching out to young people in any way they can.
As for senior crime, Dubord said the electronic world has opened up everyone to thieves and scammers who can be working in a call centre overseas.
"It is taxing for a municipal police force like Delta's to be tracking this type of cyber crime. It's not coming from a call centre in Ladner, but it's affecting the residents of Ladner who are inadvertently being taken advantage of by someone who might be halfway around the world," he said.
"People are not breaking into homes anymore. It's the odd drug dealer who is addicted that is breaking into homes, but how they are getting money now is through frauds and scams and you can see how it impacts our whole community."
Another high priority for the department is traffic.
"Traffic impacts us all. Delta is the city that everyone drives through to get to another destination," he said. "Last year we had eight fatalities on our roads. We never want to see that again."
