A10 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 19, 2000 Police strength slowly — Locals get an air fare deal. returning to normal TERRACE RCMP have a new staff sergeant at the helm who's ready to bring a bit of the city to policing here. Tom Forster replaces Robert Solvason wha left the detachment last year. The move is a promo- tion for Forster who comes from the Burnaby detach- ment where~he was in charge of emergency plan- ning. He’s been on the force for over 24 years, all of it spent on the lower mainland. “I'm hoping to bring my knowledge of the big city to the way we operate,” Forster said last week. “I wanted to get out of the busier places.” Forster's previous posts included street work in Surrey and Coquitlam, stint with the serious crimes unit in Vancouver and a commercial crime unit. Forster. is second in command al the detach- ment and will oversee its uniformed, general duty officers. “lve never done this type of policing,” he said. *So far everyone’s been really friendly, and [’m looking forward to settling in,” Forster’s arrival, and the expected transfers in of several more officers, will boost the detachment strength to 41 members, just one short of ils author- ized complement of 42, says Inspector Doug Whe- ler, the officer in charge. But he noted the de- tachment will still be short of officers as some are off- duty for various reasons and there are no temporary replacements. Despite that, Wheler noted the staffing position is much better than it has been for the past several years. _ As with other detach- aments in the province, it has been operating for sev- eral years with significant vacancies. “At one time we were down 10 positions. It was difficult to maintain mini- mum levels. We were on the priority list for staffing,” said Wheler. One reason for the com- parative health of the staffing situation here rests with a decision to take more rookie officers than do other detachments. While those detach- Fences working ELECTRIC FENCES around garbage dumps not only help keep bears away from humans, but help bears stay healthy, says a local conservation officer.., “It?s not-natural,” said B.C. Environment’s Bob Butcher of the tendency of some bears to dine at dumps. “It’s better for them to learn to deal with their normal environment.” Fences to deter bears from dumps work for the most part; he said. "It’s definitely enough to deter them,” said But- cher. Although the preblem of bears passing through urban areas near dumps is worrying, Butcher says that the bears themselves are the ones who really suffer when they head for the garbage. “Often, the bears that visit dumps regularly will have missing toes, shred- ded tongues, and worms,” he said. ° Through June 22, con- - servation officers in the Tertace ‘area have re- ceived. 14 bear complaints, down from the 30 received in June 1999, Last: year, 391 bear complaints were filed, with conservation officers attending 70 cases, Of the 70 attended, 18 bears were destroyed and 11 bears were relocated, Fifleen were destroyed by police or private residents. e. Tom Forster ments worry about having too many new: officers without practical exper- ience, Wheler has a differ- ent attitude. “Well take them and we'll train them and we can use aS many as possible,” he said. Doug Wheler Recent organizational changes at the detachment included a second police dog and officer to cover just the Terrace area and the creation of a- four- member serious crimes unit to take on those types of cases and drug offences. Lock Out Auto Crime Secure Your Vehicle Night and Day. It Makes a Difference. Road Sense on selected SIMMONS MATRESSES | The Simmons factory is being CLEARED OUT 50 don’t miss this year's big event SIMMONS" The DoNot-Fisturb Mattress *TA.Simmons |,P Inc. Used undor iicance by Canada tne.ww More COMFORT More SUPPORT More CHOICE Trade-in your old bed and & WE'LL GIVE YOU 5100 towards your new Beautyrest bed - regardless of the condition! ww? We will deliver, move your old set-up and re- one for FREE. THERE'S MORE... Buy any size steel bed frame _ and get the original purchase price. URRE THIS SALE WON'T LAST FOREVER Use your Countrywide card and pay NO Interest until the Year 2002 The Undue has veer been better! 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