Langford council has approved the addition of four officers to the West Shore RCMP, as the force notes a jump in the number of property crimes in March compared with the same month last year.

Mayor Stew Young said three additional RCMP staff were also approved in a decision by council this month. Up to four more officers will be added each year, he said.

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Young said the additions were made without fanfare. “We just carry on and do our thing.”

The number of stolen vehicles rose to 16 from six in March compared with the same month the previous year, while shoplifting incidents climbed to 37 from 26, break and enters at businesses jumped to seven from three, and cases of fraud rose to 29 from 22.

Insp. Todd Preston, officer in charge of the West Shore detachment, said in a statement accompanying the crime numbers that municipal leaders understand the growing pressure on police resources in the area.

“To that end, we are looking to increase the overall number of police officers that serve the West Shore in order to address the needs of the community.”

Preston said these are “unprecedented times” and many first responders, including West Shore RCMP, have made changes to service delivery.

Civil fingerprinting service was halted at the detachment in March in response to the COVID- 19 pandemic, while the number of officers on patrol has increased.

West Shore RCMP’s officers police Colwood, Langford and View Royal, as well as Highlands, Metchosin, Esquimalt Nation, Songhees Nation, parts of the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area and the Trans-Canada Highway.

Last April, in a joint letter to the province, Young, Colwood Mayor Rob Martin and View Royal Mayor David Screech wrote that the detachment had been underfunded by the province for a number of years.

The province covers nine per cent of the West Shore RCMP budget, while the balance comes from the municipalities.

An RCMP staffing report also concluded the detachment was understaffed by at least nine officers. View Royal, Langford and Colwood agreed last year to fund that number.

Premier John Horgan said in a March 2019 letter to Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth that rapid growth on the West Shore has resulted in a corresponding need for more officers, and he supported the mayors’ request.

Young said Langford’s annual budget for police will be about $600,000 or $700,000.

Having more officers in the community can be a comfort during the COVID-19 pandemic, Young said.

“We appreciate the work that they do.”

jwbell@timescolonist.com