The crime statistics are out for North Battleford and they show across-the-board declines in most major categories to begin 2012.
In crimes against the person, break and enters, property offences, criminal code offences, and impaired operation of a motor vehicle, numbers are down in each category. The only crime categories to post increases were the drug offences category and provincial traffic offences, which police have previously said are where greater enforcement is being applied.
The numbers were submitted by RCMP Staff Sgt. Phil Wilson in his monthly report of statistical data from Battlefords City Detachment of the RCMP.
The numbers for January show person offences down to 59 compared to 67 in January 2011. Property offences declined from 171 to 158, criminal code offences are down from 145 to 129, and residential break and enters down from 11 to six. Business break and enters are unchanged at two.
Drug offences are still on the rise, however, as 55 were recorded in January compared to 18 the same month in 2011. Provincial traffic offences are also up to 279 from 133 in Jan. 2011.
Wilson noted both those categories involved more "self-generated work." He particularly noted the municipal and provincial General Investigation Service had stepped up its activities in cracking down on drug offences.
Liquor act charges are basically unchanged at 21 compared to 20 last year. Municipal bylaw offences are also unchanged at 15 compared to 14 the previous year.
Motor vehicle collisions are down significantly to 23 compared to 58 the year before.
Overall there were 1,022 calls for service in January 2012 compared to 1,142 in Jan. 2011. A total of 16 foot patrols were recorded in January.
One concern not evident in the statistics, but on the minds of councillors, was a rash of car thefts. Councillor Trent Houk asked Wilson if the activity was some sort of organized ring or the same people.
Wilson did note there was an ongoing investigation into the stolen vehicles. He wasn't prepared to say whether the perpetrators were all working totally together, but did note that many of the stolen vehicles were recovered.
