When the Sooke RCMP invited the community for a casual coffee chat on Wednesday, more than 20 people gathered at Cafe VOSINO to engage in a broad spectrum of discussions.
Staff Sgt. Greg Willcocks, the head of the Sooke RCMP detachment, fielded questions on various topics, including traffic concerns, impaired driving, school liaison, drug trafficking, pedestrian safety, and mental health response.
Addressing the perception of rising crime in Sooke due to rapid population growth, Willcocks emphasized the increase in mental health crises, attributing it to stressors like housing instability and the high cost of living.
In response to a comment from Sooke Coun. Jeff Bateman said that social media says crime in Sooke is skyrocketing. Willcocks responded that one of the consequences of Sooke’s rapid growth in population is an increase in police files and more criminal charges.
“If that means we have a bunch of bad people here, the answer is no,” he said. “The trend we’re seeing is a lot more mental health crises, so we’re going to people who need mental health intervention. There’s a lot of people in crisis, and it’s getting worse.”
Willcocks attributes that in part to the rising number of people who cannot cope with the stress that results from various factors, such as losing their home or being unable to afford necessities because of inflation and the high cost of living.
Every member of the detachment has saved a life at one time or another during responses to those kinds of mental health calls, Willcocks noted.
Shadley Taylor asked whether many of the mental health interventions are repeat calls from the same person and who has the authority to designate a team of mental health professionals to deal with calls like that.
Willcocks confirmed they deal with repeat responses frequently, and it’s the province’s responsibility to form such a team.
Patrick Gale asked if there are plans to increase the detachment’s presence in schools, particularly Edward Milne Community School.
“It’s an area we want to get better in,” he said. “We have a plan and we’re dedicated to that.”
Willcocks, who’s worked as a school liaison in the past, said adding five new members will increase opportunities to engage more with students.
Gale, Shadley, and Sooke Mayor Maja Tait all shared positive comments on the Coffee With a Cop session and appreciated the opportunity for one-on-one conversations in an informal setting.
Tait said she’s looking forward to arranging similar events in the future at different venues with a variety of community partners.
“The event went great, and there was a large turnout,” Willcocks noted later. “I appreciated the healthy discussions with members of the community and there were lots of great questions. I also appreciate meeting so many people in the community and them taking the time to have a cup of coffee and talk about public safety.”
Willcocks stayed past the scheduled 90 minutes to answer all questions. He also thanked everyone who came out and Cafe VOSINO for hosting the event.
“We hope to do this again soon,” he said.