SMITHERS, B.C. – In a move toward greater community transparency, the Smithers RCMP released a snapshot of its calls for service this month, revealing that a full one-third of all police responses involved non-criminal situations, primarily related to individuals experiencing a health crisis.
In a statement posted Monday, the detachment reported it has responded to 219 calls for service so far in July. Of those, 73 were for health-related matters that were not connected to any criminal activity.
The RCMP explained they shared the data to help the public understand the realities of modern policing and the significant strain placed on their resources by complex social issues. The post addresses a common public question: “Why don’t you deal with these criminal issues?”
“The truth is, many of our calls involve individuals in crisis—calls that require time, compassion, and services beyond what policing alone can offer,” the statement reads. “When officers are tied up with non-criminal interventions, it limits our capacity to respond to the criminal issues people are most concerned about.”
The detachment acknowledged that police have historically stepped in when other social and health services are overwhelmed or unavailable. However, they stressed that a long-term solution for community safety requires building a stronger social safety net. This would ensure people receive the appropriate health care and support they need before a situation escalates to the point of requiring a police response.
The Smithers RCMP concluded by emphasizing that open communication and transparency are key to helping the community understand the challenges they face so that everyone can “move forward together.”
