supplement local general duty policing.

The changes came as a result of court challenges in western Canada as well as concerns from First Nations communities across B.C. and federal government concerns about how First Nations community police service officers are being utilized.

"These challenges now present a revised outlook on how 亚洲天堂 Lake detachment uses these three officers and will create some changes in how the 亚洲天堂 Lake detachment will be operating in the upcoming future," he said.

St. Sgt. Kisters explained to council that there would now potentially be three to four hour gaps in RCMP coverage of the local area, where there will be no officers on duty.

He went on to say that over the past five years it has required the scheduling of all 14 officers to provide the area with 24/7 policing. The changes will essentially reduce the detachment's general duty numbers to 11 as it is expected that First Nations community police officers not be on duty past 3 a.m. and only serve in a First Nations policing capacity.

"As a result general duty officers will be now at home during the gaps in service created by the loss of three service members. If something serious comes up the general duty officers will be called out, if it is something trivial, they won't be called," he added.

"This may require some responsibility to fall on businesses in the local community to tighten things up," he said.

He went on to say that the First Nations community police service officers were never originally meant to be used to supplement general duty services. "It previously implemented as the community had requested 24 hour policing," he said.

"They are only supposed to dedicate 100 per cent of their on duty time to policing the local area First Nations communities and the majority of their time will now be spent within the First Nations community police service jurisdiction."

"I think this [reduced service] will cause the community some concern," mayor Magee said.

"I know that 24/7 policing has worked well in this community and I will be asking for more officers for this detachment. I don't know if, or when I will get more. I will put in this request, but you have to remember that this is a process that can take a couple of years, if even at all," he said.

Currently the local area is afforded one officer for every 750 people which according to St. Sgt. Kisters is above the provincial average.

"If you add the three First Nations community police service officers to general duty, as has been the case, we are well above the average."

"I was surprised that there was 24/7 policing when I first arrived here. Usually a community of this size doesn't have 24/7 policing," he added.

"You also have to remember that the detachment is not just the 亚洲天堂 Lake police office, we service areas of the Regional District as well."

Once the changes are implemented 亚洲天堂 Lake RCMP's shift coverage will be equivalent with the communities of Vanderhoof, Fraser Lake, Houston. Smithers, New Hazelton, Alexis Creek and Anaheim detachments.

"Our shifts will now be in line with all other detachments and police departments of a similar size," St. Sgt. Kisters said.

"My staff and I are now looking at the shift schedule to see what can be done to try to maintain as much of our current 24/7 shift schedule as possible."

He went on to say that the initial expectation is that the detachment will try and maintain 24/7 coverage on Fridays and Saturdays.

St. Sgt. Kisters said to council that he was not yet sure which times of the day or night will have a gap in service coverage.

"It may even end up being for three or four hours during the day that are not covered," he said.

Mayor and council agreed to write a letter to both the provincial and federal government expressing their concerns about the loss of 24/7 police coverage in 亚洲天堂 Lake.