By Katie Ryan
While most will be gathered with friends and family eagerly anticipating the countdown for 2010, the local RCMP Detachment are gearing up for what tends to be one of their busiest nights of the year – New Year’s Eve.
Sgt. Ken Marchand said there will be more officers on duty tonight, prepared for what’s expected to be a night of high call volume and unfortunately, domestic violence.
“New Year’s is always a huge evening for us call-wise and we are bringing extra bodies to work the city. Check-stops, if duties permit, they will be up and about,” said Marchand.
“If it’s call to call, to call we will do our best. And sometimes it is call to call, to call. It’s a big night fortunately for revelry, but we have a lot of domestics and violence as well.”
As revelers in the Border City rang in 2009 last year, the local detachment had their hands full when it came to calls.
“Busy,” said Marchand quickly, when asked how last year’s night of celebration went.
“Yeah, busy, it’s one of our busier nights.”
Officers are ready for what the last night of 2009 will bring said Marchand.
“We have already planned and are prepared for New Year’s,” he said, adding additional officers will be on the streets, as well as the traffic unit. Marchand said that while impaired driving is reported, it tends not be as much of an issue on New Year’s Eve compared to the increased of level of assaults RCMP are called to.
“There’s the odd one, but it’s funny New Years isn’t usually our biggest night for impaireds because people know that we are out and about, they are making a plan ahead and it’s not spontaneous parties,” he continued.
“It’s noisy parties and it’s the violence. It’s fighting, either at the party or at a function, or a domestic afterwards where the spouses had too much to drink and they start beaking. Next thing you know there is a fight.”