RCMP report Merritt on pace to set dubious record

The City of Merritt is on pace to set a record in 2026, however,  its one that no one will be bragging about.

On Monday (May 4), Merritt RCMP released it’s monthly report for April, which shows it was another busy one for the local detachment.

In his report, Staff Sgt. Josh Roda noted that the detachment responded to 679 calls for service, which is a significant increase over the 535 calls recorded last April.

While the monthly number is concerning, the overall number of calls for 2026 is even more alarming.

“Over the first four months of 2026, officers have responded to 2,303 calls for service, compared to 1,952 during the same timeframe in 2025,” Roda wrote in his release. “Based on current trends, the Detachment remains on pace to experience the highest annual call volume in its history.”

Roda explained that the increase in calls for service has been driven almost exclusively by incidents occurring within the City of Merritt. In 2025, the Detachment responded to 1,402 calls for service within city limits and 465 calls for service in the provincial area.

So far this year (2026), this number has risen to 1626 calls for service within city limits and remained the same in the provincial area with 471 calls for service. This growth is largely concentrated in and around the downtown core.

According to Roda’s report, the most significant increase in workload has been observed in property crime offences, which have risen sharply.

In April 2025, the Detachment responded to 136 calls for service related to mischiefs and trespassing, however those numbers in April 2026, surged to 200 calls for service, highlighting the ongoing and increasing impact of the high-risk population within the downtown core.

The upward trend is also evident in theft-related occurrences.

In 2025 year-to-date, the Detachment recorded 68 reported thefts, ranging from thefts from vehicles to shoplifting offences. So far in 2026 year-to-date, theft calls have increased to 91 occurrences, further contributing to the growing strain on frontline policing resources.

Business break and enters increased notably in April, with officers responding to 14 reported incidents. This brings the 2026 year-to-date total to 34 business break and enters, compared to 27 during the same period in 2025, reflecting a continued upward trend in commercial property crime.

Other highlights of the monthly report include:

• Firearm seizures – Officers have seized 26 firearms to date in 2026.

• 12 mental health-related calls, reflecting ongoing efforts to support individuals in crisis.

• 25 motor vehicle collisions, requiring traffic management and investigative support.

• 28 assaults, with appropriate investigative and victim support measures undertaken.

• 38 targeted downtown patrols were conducted, resulting in enforcement and compliance measures to move individuals along who were camping near local businesses or causing issues within the downtown core.

• 33 targeted vehicle stops resulting in enforcement action.

Also in April, the Detachment submitted 21 charge recommendations to the BC Prosecution Service for a yearly total of 93 charges.