In an update to Sicamous council, Sgt. Murray McNeil reported a dramatic increase in impaired drivers being removed from the road.

At the April 24 Committee of the Whole meeting, Sgt. Murray McNeil presented the quarterly report that included a few increases, though none quite as dramatic as the impaired tally.

鈥淏ig increase in our impaired drivers for this quarter, almost triple,鈥� McNeil said of the 17 this year over six in 2023 and just three the year prior. 鈥淪o the guys are out pulling more vehicles over, looking for people that might be impaired鈥� making it safer for people, so that鈥檚 good to see.鈥�

He added that overall traffic tickets written also increased from 135 last year to 159, with the five officers working resulting in an average of 10 stats per month.

McNeil said they鈥檝e also seen more drugs, with four possessions and one trafficking charge, with the latter resulting in a member of the Combined Special Forces Enforcement Unit working in town for a bit.

鈥淒rug possessions鈥� we were getting hard street drugs, some methamphetamine, some cocaine,鈥� he added. 鈥淢ore than the decriminalized two-and-a-half grams, some of it consistent with people鈥� going around and making deliveries in town. So that was good intel for us, and a couple of good seizures to make.鈥�

The other statistic McNeil highlighted was the increase in thefts at 49 over last year鈥檚 30, but said that while Salmon Arm has seen a recent rash of shoplifting, stats aren鈥檛 showing that to be the case in Sicamous.

In good news, McNeil said there鈥檚 a new constable in town, Const. Eric Millar, who arrived from Houston in March. McNeil described him as 鈥渁 young guy with about four years of service.鈥�

鈥淧leased to have him, he came with good reviews and I think we鈥檙e quite fortunate to get him,鈥� McNeil said, adding that as Millar likes to boat, he鈥檒l get him out on lake patrols.

The full report is available on the district website at under the committee agenda.

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