The Sea to Sky RCMP is looking to add a crime analyst to their team.
An RCMP analyst is a public servant with specialized training who is given access to police files and can provide real-time crime intelligence.
"Analysts roles can include linking crimes, determining crime 'hot spots,'" said Cpl. Angela Kermer, media relations officer with the Squamish RCMP.
"Saving time for police resources, [they] are part of a co-ordinated approach to crime reduction and prevention."
Analysts use police data, in other words, to help guide officers' enforcement and prevention strategies.
Their tools may include spreadsheets, databases and specialized software.
In B.C., training for such positions with police is through post-secondary institutions including the Justice Institute of British Columbia or British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT).
Having a local analyst would help corridor officers be more efficient and focus on police work out in the community rather than paperwork back at the detachment, Kermer said.
"It can show crime trends: what kinds of crimes are happening in Squamish, when, what is being stolen — anything like that."
They can also link what is happening here to other places.
"When I first came here, there was a bike theft operation going on. The bikes were being stolen here and then transported to Edmonton, I think it was, to be ripped apart and sold in pieces and such. That is what the analyst can do because they have access to different pieces," Kramer said, adding that Mounties are not trained to be analysts so it is not the best use of their skills.
The analyst's findings may also be shared with the public.
An RCMP-provided example from Saskatchewan is that in 2020, analysts saw an increase in break-and-enters at churches and places of worship throughout that province.
"In December, the RCMP issued a crime-pattern alert highlighting the problem and listing tips to help prevent future break-ins," reads a piece in the RCMP's Gazette magazine.
Currently, if crime analysts are needed in the Sea to Sky, they are borrowed from the provincial body of the Mounties for specific one-off situations.
The current Sea to Sky RCMP ask is for one designated, full-time crime analyst.
While the RCMP didn't provide the dollar figure needed for the position, online salary portals such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and Talent.com show an RCMP analyst position starting at about $76,000 per year.
A business case for the position is being prepared.
"We will be seeking funding sources from various funders, and the funding arrangement may include multiple partners," Kermer told The Chief.
