Fort St. John RCMP had a busy month of enforcement in June, seizing more than 1.3 kilograms of illicit drugs, recovering several firearms and dismantling an alleged firearm manufacturing operation linked to drug trafficking.
According to a report presented to Fort St. John city council Monday by Sgt. Jaime Moffat, acting officer in charge of the detachment, police saw an overall decrease in crime across the city while continuing to focus on organized crime investigations, public safety calls and community concerns.
During June, officers carried out three search warrants as part of an organized crime investigation, seizing four firearms and more than 1.3 kilograms of illicit drugs.
Later in the month, the detachment’s Street Enforcement Team dismantled an alleged firearm manufacturing operation connected to drug trafficking, removing about 20 privately manufactured firearms from circulation.
“These enforcement actions demonstrate the detachment’s continued focus on disrupting organized crime, drug trafficking, and illegal firearms within the community,” wrote Sergeant. Moffat in the report.
Fort St. John RCMP responded to 1,084 calls for service in June, slightly up from 1,074 calls in May.
Of those calls, 808 took place within the city, while 276 came from surrounding rural areas.
While police continued to respond to a wide range of incidents, several property crime categories saw declines.
Thefts from vehicles dropped from 16 incidents in May to 14 in June, while general theft investigations decreased from 38 to 30.
Break-and-enters also saw small reductions, with residential incidents dropping from seven to six and commercial break-ins declining from four to three.
However, thefts of motor vehicles increased, rising from two incidents in May to five in June.
“Members continue to encourage residents to remove valuables from vehicles, secure homes and businesses, and report suspicious activity promptly,” Sergeant.Moffat stated.
The enforcement successes came while the detachment continued to manage staffing challenges.
In June, Fort St. John RCMP had six temporary vacancies due to members being away on sick leave, parental leave and administrative leave. The detachment also had six permanent vacancies in areas including plainclothes, municipal traffic and general duty positions.
Adding to those pressures, local officers were deployed to support provincial security operations during the FIFA World Cup 2026 through provincial policing agreements.
“While these deployments add pressure to local staffing levels, the detachment remains committed to maintaining effective policing services for Fort St. John and surrounding rural communities,” Sergeant. Moffat noted.
Mental health-related calls continued to be a significant part of police workload in June, with officers responding to 77 check well-being calls and 15 Mental Health Act apprehensions.
The month also marked the introduction of HealthIM, a digital tool designed to support officers responding to mental health-related incidents.
The system was used in five occurrences during its partial-month rollout and recorded an average hospital wait time of one hour and eight minutes. Police noted the early numbers represent only a small portion of overall mental health responses as the program continues to be implemented.
Despite ongoing staffing pressures and a busy operational workload, Fort St. John RCMP said the detachment remains focused on addressing crime trends and providing policing services to residents throughout the city and surrounding rural communities.
