A new comparative policing report presented to Kamloops’ Safety and Security Select Committee offers one of the clearest recent snapshots of how the city’s policing demands stack up against similar communities across British Columbia—showing consistently higher crime rates and officer workload, while remaining mid-range on staffing and costs.
The report draws directly from the province’s annual Police Resources in British Columbia data but reformats it to allow easier comparisons between RCMP and municipally policed communities.
“This is new and I think really clever,” said Committee Chair Katie Neaustaeter. “We’re excited to see a first presentation around this and we appreciate you integrating this into the safety and security process.”
She added that the approach is intended to become a regular reporting tool: “This will likely be a standing item in some kind of rhythm that comes to safety and security.”
Kamloops Crime Rate Well Above Provincial Average
In 2024, Kamloops recorded a crime rate of 111 offences per 1,000 residents—down 21% from 2023 but still 43% higher than the provincial average.
Business Manager – Community and Protective Services Mike Helfrich, who led the analysis, said the rate needs to be interpreted in context.
“A high crime rate may indicate that a municipality is a core city,” he told the committee. “We have highways that come through town… a lot of events in the winter and summer… a lot of people coming and going.”
He added that census population figures may not fully capture that reality. “Our population may surge greater than the census population reflected in the report,” Helfrich said.
Despite the higher-than-average rate, Kamloops ranked 10th of 42 comparable municipalities—placing it firmly in the middle tier rather than the top of the province.
Officer Workload Drops, But Still Above Average
One of the most significant findings was a sharp reduction in officer workload.
Kamloops officers handled an average of 77 cases each in 2024, down from 98 the year before.
“That’s a 21% decrease which is really positive,” Helfrich sad. “Because that’s freeing up time for officers to work on those files or work on other activities.”
Even with the decline, Kamloops remains 28% above the provincial average.
“This is a good indication of the demand for police services,” Helfrich added. “It reflects an officer’s workload and is often a more accurate indicator than population alone.”
Staffing Levels Compared to Province
Kamloops also maintains relatively strong staffing levels compared to the province overall, with 694 residents per officer.
“That’s 13% lower than the provincial average of 800,” Helfrich noted. “And over the past five years, Kamloops has seen a 3% decrease in that statistic.”
Protective Services Director Ken Uzeloc emphasized that the metric helps balance public discussion around police adequacy.
“It allows more greater comparability between municipalities,” he said earlier in the presentation, noting that raw population figures can be misleading without workload context.
Costs and Funding Differences Highlighted
Policing costs in Kamloops rose to $362 per capita in 2024—up 5% from the previous year and about 5% above the provincial average.
Uzeloc cautioned that cost comparisons must be interpreted carefully due to funding structure differences.
“It does appear that the municipal police forces are considerably higher,” he said. “Partly because they’re paying 100% of the cost, where we’re paying 90%.”
He also noted that RCMP and municipal models operate under different structural assumptions, including staffing levels and service delivery expectations.
Kamloops Sits Mid-Pack Among Similar Cities
When compared directly to similar RCMP-policed municipalities—Kelowna, Nanaimo, Prince George and Vernon—Kamloops consistently ranked in the middle range across key indicators.
Helfrich summarized the position succinctly: “We’re right in the middle on the comparators. We’re second and third on all the metrics—so right in line with those other similar sized communities.”
He added that Kamloops’ profile is broadly consistent with comparable centres. “We’re looking at communities that are similar in size and structure,” he said. “And we’re tracking very similarly to them.”
A Tool for Ongoing Review
Committee members said the report provides a useful baseline for future planning, particularly as it tracks trends over time rather than relying on single-year figures.
“I think this report is going to serve our community well over time,” said Chair Katie Neustaeter. “We’ll need some time to compare and contrast over time as we learn to interpret the data.”
She added that caution will be important when drawing conclusions. “We need to make sure that we’re not making harmful assumptions,” she said.
The report is expected to return regularly to the committee, providing ongoing updates on how Kamloops compares to peer communities on policing demand, staffing, and cost pressures.
