News release
Kelowna RCMP Reports Significant Results Through Provincial SITE Funding
March 3, 2026
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Kelowna, British Columbia
From: Kelowna RCMP
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The Kelowna RCMP, in partnership with the Province of British Columbia and the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, received funding through the Special Investigations and Targeted Enforcement (SITE) Program to enhance pro-active enforcement efforts targeting violent crime, repeat offenders, and organized crime within the City of Kelowna.
From June 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026, this provincial funding supported additional intelligence-led enforcement shifts by the Proactive Enforcement Unit, and Crime Reduction Unit, focusing on high-risk offenders and areas experiencing elevated violence and social disorder.
Enforcement Results
Over the seven-month period, the impact in the community was significant. Over 456 new police files were opened, documenting contact with high-risk offenders and new criminal investigations were initiated. While deployed in the community as part of the initiative, officers interrupted a break-and-enter in progress, taking the individuals responsible into custody.
Targeted enforcement efforts led to the arrest of 121 individuals, the recommendation of 163 charges, including breaches of court‑ordered conditions, the execution of 10 outstanding warrants, and the issuance of 63 violation tickets.
Weapons Seized
Officers removed a substantial number of dangerous weapons from the community including: four handguns, nine imitation or improvised handguns, a long gun with ammo, and twelve cans of bear deterrent spray. Also removed from the community were weapons which have historically been seen by police as being used in the commission of criminal offences. They included: a switch blade, taser, hatchet, baton, twenty-four knives, two machetes, three baseball bats, and sword.
Two vehicles were seized as suspected proceeds of crime and forwarded for civil forfeiture proceedings.
Drugs Seized
Significant quantities of suspected illicit substances were seized including: 237 grams of fentanyl, 694 grams of methamphetamine, 311 grams of cocaine, 202 grams of crack cocaine, 35 grams of MDMA, 13 grams of LSD, over 1.8 kilograms of psilocybin, over 2.3 kilograms of packaged for sale cannabis, 618 grams of suspected mixed illicit drugs, and 595 prescription pills.
Property and Cash Seized
As a result of the investigations initiated, officers seized $55,528 in Canadian currency, 7,470 cartons of illegal cigarettes, 180 illegal vape devices, 450 nicotine pouches, industrial shipping container and one recovered stolen vehicle.
Uniform Gang Enforcement Team Multi-Day Training
Between January 12, 2026, and January 16, 2026, SITE funding provided a real-world training opportunity with expertise from the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU) – Uniform Gang Enforcement Team (UGET). UGET members delivered the specialized training to Okanagan Valley RCMP detachments including Kelowna, West Kelowna, Lake Country and North Okanagan. The three-day opportunity aimed to strengthen investigative capacity, including tactics for the interdiction of weapons, firearms, and drugs from repeat violent offenders.
Enhanced Policing Impact and Initiative
Beyond measurable enforcement outcomes, the SITE funding highlighted an operational need within Kelowna bridging the gap between frontline uniform patrol and investigative units when targeting repeat criminal activity and violent offenders.
As a direct result of this funding and the operational successes achieved, the Kelowna RCMP launched the Kelowna Gang Enforcement Team (KGET) pilot project. KGET was established to provide focused, intelligence-driven enforcement targeting gang activity and organized criminal groups. Since its implementation, the team has continued to remove firearms, drugs, criminal proceeds, and violent offenders from the streets while strengthening coordination between uniform and investigative resources.
“The SITE funding provided by the Province of British Columbia has had a direct and measurable impact on public safety in Kelowna,” said Sergeant Scott Powrie of the Crime Reduction Unit. “This investment allowed us to proactively target repeat violent offenders and organized crime groups, remove dangerous weapons and toxic drugs from our community, and disrupt criminal networks before further harm could occur.”