Year in review 2025: Modern policing is complex work

December 22, 2025 - Smithers, BC, British Columbia
From: Smithers RCMP

Content

In 2025, Smithers RCMP responded to thousands of calls for service. As in 2024, most calls were related to public safety and complex social situations, rather than Criminal Code offences.

Traffic-related calls were the largest category of calls for service again this year. These calls were mostly driven by community concerns about driving behaviour and road safety.

Calls about suspicious people or situations also remained high. Officers often attend to assess risk, check on someone’s well-being, and reassure the public. While many of these calls do not lead to criminal charges, they often require investigative follow-up and a preventative police presence.

Wellness checks and calls for assistance continued to make up a large part of police work. While some of these calls decreased slightly from 2024 to 2025, they were still among the most time-consuming calls officers responded to. In Smithers, police are often the first and only responders to wellness checks and are responsible for making the situation safe and managing risk. These situations often involve mental health concerns, vulnerable people, or emerging crises and require calm communication, stabilization, follow-up, and careful decision-making.

Disturbance calls fluctuated throughout the year. These calls often require officers to de-escalate situations, mediate between people, and assess risk. In many cases, officers can resolve the situation without it becoming more serious and escalating to a Criminal Code offence.

Criminal Code offences, such as assault, theft under $5,000, and mischief, made up a smaller share of total calls for service in both years. In 2025, some of these offences decreased compared to 2024. When these offences do occur, they often involve repeat offenders and ongoing safety concerns. A significant amount of time was spent advocating for appropriate detention or release conditions through the court process by explaining how repeat situations were affecting the community.

In late 2025, police saw fewer theft-related calls after the warming shelter opened. When compared to the same late-fall period in 2024, theft-related calls dropped by approximately 60 per cent. While many factors can affect crime trends, access to warm, safe shelter and basic supports reduces theft linked to survival needs and crisis driven behaviour.

Overall, changes in crime numbers do not always reflect police workload. In 2025, much of our police work involved wellness checks, assistance calls, and prevention. At the same time, Criminal Code investigations have become more complex and require more time, including detailed file work, search warrants, court preparation and advocacy, and follow-up with partner agencies. This work is not always visible in traditional crime statistics.

Quotes

"Our calls for service reflect the reality that modern policing is increasingly complex,” said Staff Sargeant Ryan Law. “Officers are often the first point of contact for people experiencing trauma or crisis, and those situations require specialized skills, patience and careful decision-making in addition to enforcement,” added S/Sgt. Ryan Law.

S/Sgt. Ryan Law, Detachment Commander, Smithers RCMP