Nelson Top Cop Talks Social Services, Race and Baker Street Violence
July 31, 2020•1 Minutes
“Be patient, avoid assumptions” regarding investigation into police officer’s Baker Street death, NDP Chief says
COVID, the killing of George Floyd, Defund The Police, the death of a visiting police officer on our main street — just before two Nelson Court rulings on separate violent incidents that played out on Baker Street in the past couple of years. The Nelson Police Department have been facing two storm fronts — one global, another right out the front door of the station.
On July 31 Chief Paul Burkart of the NPD stopped by Kootenay Morning to talk race, drugs and social services. Burkart refrained from commenting in more detail on the ongoing investigation into the death of Constable Allan Young on Baker Street two weeks ago.
Noting studies and stats that show Nelson is doing comparatively well in its fight against crime, Burkhart also spoke in detail about a variety of urgent issues, including mental health and homelessness, methamphetamine and fentanyl spikes, the proposed legalization of possession and systemic racism in the criminal justice system.
