Monthly Coffee With A Cop Features Constable Blake Chursinoff

MERRITT — The Merritt R-C-M-P hosted another successful Coffee with a Cop, the 20th time they have hosted the monthly event in town.

The event took place at the local McDonalds where coffee and donuts were shared amongst locals that wished to speak with local authorities in a casual setting.

It’s a chance to see that some R-C-M-P members are not always bad guys and just regular human beings like the rest of us. While they do not get the same accolades or praise as say, firefighters or E-M-S their job is still just as vital in keeping the town safe.

Constable Blake Chursinoff’s son is a regular die-hard fan at Merritt Centennials games, even cheering loud behind the bench last season when the team was down by unflattering scores like 8-1 or 14-0.

Constable Chursinoff hosted the event and had a message for Merrittonians

“Keep reporting, reporting, and reporting. The police can only do so much and needs the community to provide information.” Chursinoff says “it may not always seem like useful information but whatever you are experiencing could help solve ongoing crimes.”

When it comes to policing local drug usage, Chursinoff believes there is only so much he and his colleagues can do as the BC government regulation of drugs leaves R-C-M-P member’s hands tied.

“With the current laws for drug possession there is only so much we can do. Users or even dealers can have such a high amount of drugs on them it basically means we have limited power in a lot of situations.”

If you would like to report an unlawful act or follow up on a crime that you previously reported, please call 1-800-222-8477 or submit a web tip.

You can also contact the Community Policing Office (2026 Granite Avenue) by phone; 250-378-3955, email; cpo@merritt.ca or even on social media; @MerrittCPO

The Community Policing Office is a joint effort between the City of Merritt and the RCMP but it is not another RCMP detachment office. Rather the purpose of community policing is to encourage the community to become involved in crime prevention and crime reduction programs.

The office is run by Community Policing Coordinator Marlene Jones in conjunction with RCMP Constable Blake Chursinoff. They work with the community to formulate effective programs that strive to make the City of Merritt safer.

It takes a community to keep things safe.