BRIDGEWATER - Bridgewater's police chief is urging residents to feel safe in their community in the wake of the murder of a 12-year-old girl.

 "We're satisfied it's an isolated incident," Chief Brent Crowhurst said Monday morning. "From our investigation, we are satisfied there is no jeopardy for residents of Bridgewater and surrounding areas. We don't believe for a minute that it was a random act that could happen again."

 The police chief remained quiet during the search for Karissa Boudreau and in the days since police announced that her disappearance had turned into a homicide investigation. He was working on the case while acting deputy chief Sgt. John Collyer became the face of the department.

 But on Monday, Chief Crowhurst broke his silence to ask townspeople to trust police while they continue the murder probe.

 "We want people to understand that what occurred in the past month is not indicative of a danger in this community.

 "In my heart, I have no concern that it's not purely an isolated incident," he added. "All the best indicators from a huge investigative team tell us it's an isolated incident."

 From the time the body was found just outside town limits on February 9, Bridgewater Police and the RCMP launched a joint homicide investigation. The missing person file continued to run parallel to that case, but police proceeded on the assumption that the remains could be Karissa.

 "We immediately ramped up a full-scale major crime investigation that swung into gear within an hour and that investigation has been at full tilt ever since," Chief Crowhurst said.

 It's standard procedure for police to treat any sudden death where the cause is unknown as a homicide until they confirm otherwise.

 At least 20 investigators are working the case daily. That includes a dozen major crime investigators from the RCMP and the eight plainclothes officers, some RCMP and some municipal, who usually work out of the Bridgewater police station.

 At times, that number of investigators has reached 40. The team has brought in forensics people, RCMP divers and a helicopter as needed and will continue to call in additional resources as required.

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 Chief Crowhurst says the team is following the major case management model, which is the standard throughout the country. A Bridgewater detectiveand an RCMP officer are jointly leading the investigation.

 "We want people to understand the amount of resources that have been dedicated to this and will continue to be dedicated until it's resolved," he said.

 How long that will take remains unclear. Police are warning it could take months.

 "Because of a lot of popular television shows, the public generally has an expectation that crimes can be solved within 48 to 50 minutes. The reality is typical DNA examination can take up to 180 days," Chief Crowhurst said.

 "The reality is science takes time."

 Chief Crowhurst says he's confident the case will be solved.

 "I'm very hopeful. I can't guarantee it, but I'm optimistic," he said.

 "We're very committed to following proper protocol to make sure that there's no chance that anything we do or say will interfere with any possible prosecution down the road. People have to understand that our primary role is to investigate, solve crime and bring those responsible to justice. We feel we owe that to Karissa's memory."

posted on 02/19/08