As the City of Kamloops continues to work towards getting peace officer status for its Community Service Officers, a Councillor is urging caution saying the City won’t be able to police itself out of some of the social issues it is facing.

Councillor Nancy Bepple says its important that her colleagues be mindful of the added powers that peace officers have – like the ability to carry guns, though the City has said it has no intention of moving down that path.

“We know that police officers are covered under legislation for the Independent Investigations Office of BC,” Bepple said. “It investigates uses of force and death involving police, but that is not the case if it were to be CSO.”

1. Police have oversight of the @iiobc, CSOs would not
2. 1/2 of unhoused in Kamloops are Indigenous, but there has been little consultation: reconciliation includes having input
3. CSOs are paid considerably less than RCMP.
4. We can’t police our way out of social issues

— Nancy Bepple (@NancyBepple) May 28, 2024

Define weapons: guns, tasers, pepper spray, batons? Also peace officers can carry weapons and use force. If peace officer status granted for CSOs, who sets the restrictions on what can be carried, what level of force can be used?

— Nancy Bepple (@NancyBepple) May 28, 2024

Speaking during the May 14 council meeting, Bepple also said there are a disproportionate number of Indigenous people in Kamloops who are homeless or incarcerated.

“We need to think about that there are risks and there is also I would say a need to make sure that the people affected have voices in the process,” Bepple added. “A really good example in our community would be Indigenous people and having them at the table to decide how we use CSOs as peace officers.”

Her comments come as Councillor Kelly Hall – who chairs the Safety and Security Select Committee – said the City is expecting some “encouraging news” in its multi-year quest to deputize Community Services Officers.

“I think what they need to do is they need to have approval of the changes that are necessary in the Police Act,” Hall said following a meeting in Victoria with Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth and Attorney General Niki Sharma. “My understanding is that is forthcoming fairly shortly.”

“As soon as they’re finished that, I think there is some encouraging news that will be coming forward with respect to peace officer status for our CSOs. We were told to be very optimistic.”

The City began the process to expand the role of the CSOs in May of last year, with CSOs possibly working around the clock by July.

“I think it’s fantastic work going down to the BC Legislature,” Bepple said, of that meeting. “They need to know that Kamloops is here and that we mean business, but I think we need to use caution going forward that if we have these powers, we use them very cautiously.”

It is not clear when the Kamloops CSOs could be granted peace officer status, though the program has been praised by incumbent Kamloops RCMP Superintendent Jeff Pelley as well as his predecessor Superintendent, Syd Lecky, prior to his departure in late 2022.