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RCMP review slow response to assault at Kamloops salon

Police followed up on the file and are reviewing of the audio from the call reporting the incident
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RCMP vest. Phil McLaclan/ Kelowna Capital News

The Kamloops RCMP says it is conducting a review after an alleged assault at a salon in Sahali, which should have warranted a quicker response, wasn’t attended to until after the business had closed.

According to a police press release, Mounties received a call for service at the Cobia Salon in the 1300-block of Summit Drive on May 19 at about 5:12 p.m. for a reported “disturbance” requesting “police in the area” to respond.

The message relayed to officers was that a woman had allegedly put items into her bag, gotten upset, threw them and was now walking away from the salon, Const. Crystal Evelyn said in the release.

Evelyn said as the woman had already left, and apparently no one was injured, police were not dispatched to the business until much later as they were dealing with higher priority calls.

“By the time a frontline officer was dispatched to the report, the salon was unfortunately closed,” Evelyn said.

Police did not say how long after the 5:12 p.m. incident it took for an officer to arrive.

Evelyn said police have since followed up on the file, including a review of the audio from the call reporting the incident.

Inspector Jeff Pelley, officer in charge of operations at the Kamloops detachment, said several people can be heard in the background of the call, one of whom indicated an asssault occurred.

“The reporting of an assault should have increased the prioritization of the call and required a more-timely response,” Pelley said.

The Kamloops RCMP has since been in contact with the salon, but, so far, the reported victims have indicated they don’t wish to pursue criminal charges.

The RCMP said its investigation into the incidnet continues.

Police are also addressing a recent media report about the incident in which a staff member told a reporter the RCMP deemed the case as “unimportant and told her police had more important things to do.”

“This is, in fact, not the case and this was an unfortunate misunderstanding of the incident initially reported,” Pelley said.

According to the RCMP a full review of their response and how it became a lower priority in the dispatch queue is also being conducted.

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