2016 was a year for growth and advancement within the Altona Police Service.

While officers tended to a variety of criminal activities, Chief Perry Batchelor says members also kept busy with training. "We identified a few gaps that we needed to fill within the service." One officer is now a trained Armourer and is qualified in rifle, shotgun and pistol repair and maintenance; one member completed radar, laser and alcohol screening device training and another officer became a certified breath technician.

Then very early in 2016, all members received training in the Police Reporting and Occurrence System (PROS), a new record management system that connected the department to a national data base.

"PROS is the same record management system and the RCMP use, so it gave us a huge interface with the RCMP and other police agencies across Canada....it was a huge success for us," noted the Chief.

The Altona Police Service also rolled out its Carbine Program this past year and three officers received qualifications to use the Daniel Defense rifles purchased in 2015 with money from the Criminal Forfeiture Fund.

Batchelor also noted a few equipment upgrades, again, thanks to $35,000 from the Criminal Forfeiture Fund offered through the province. He explains the department purchased eight Taser X-2s, the new generation of Taser that officers have been carrying since about 2004. "It's not as though it's a new weapon that's out there or a new use of force option, but it something that you have to stay current with."

Also purchased in 2016 was a Crime Point surveillance camera used to work various drug operations.

Meantime, two new hires completed their recruit training in the past year, bringing the compliment of officers to a full eight plus one special constable.

The annual review also indicates that 2016 was the second year that the Altona Police Service operated under a strategic plan designed by the department and the local police board.

Batchelor says the multi-year plan outlines four goals or objectives; to enhance public safety through quality core policing services and relationships, enhance organizational development to meet the future needs (succession planning), promoting internal and external relationships through proactive communication strategies, and to ensure sustainable service through sound fiscal management.

"Overall, it's a moving target and there are many reportable outcomes from the 2016 year."

In that same wheelhouse is public relations, which Batchelor says is critical to the work of the department whether it's through bike rodeos or the annual Ag Safety Day in conjunction with Golden West where about 175 grade 5 students were educated in drug awareness last year.

"It's my philosophy as the Chief of Police is that you need to get out and into the public whether it's walking through the mall, stopping in the arena, watching the ball game and getting into classrooms. I think it's a very critical part of the work we do - make yourself approachable and people will approach you."

Batchelor adds his office also tries to keep current with media releases, making the public aware of what's going on in the community with regards to events or criminal activity.

And on the subject of criminal activity, the crime stats for 2016 are in and the results are mixed.

Altona Police Chief Perry Batchelor

In his annual report, Batchelor noted that drug files decreased 151 per cent this past year.

"We had a real decrease in drug activity but the reality is the year before we worked a significant drug project (Project Doorman) and several charges were as a result of that work."

Theft and break-and-enter incidents were also down, 55 per cent and 49 per cent respectively, and the Chief believes this is a direct correlation to Project Doorman that saw a local meth dealer taken off the streets.

Unfortunately the same can't be said for assault and sexual assault files which increased in 2016 by 8 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

"We not talking zero (reports) one year and a hundred (reports) the next year, that means that there might have been five one year and seven the next," explains Batchelor, adding this isn't an alarming increase but is certainly worth pointing out.

Fraud cases also saw a jump last year, increasing about 18 per cent.

As for a review of the department's financials for the past year, the agency reported a surplus of $7,437, spending $815,427 of the $822,900 allotted for the year.