Calls for service may be down, but there were some troubling upward trends in the January crime statistics from Battlefords RCMP detachment.
The overall calls for service were down for the month from 960 in January 2014 to 760 last month.
That drop, according to the monthly report to the city of North Battleford’s Planning Committee from Battlefords RCMP Insp. John Sutherland, was attributed to occurrence reports no longer generated for each background or criminal record check done by the detachment.
Unfortunately some increases in certain statistical categories were noted in the statistical data from Regina, particularly in persons and criminal code offences.
Person offences were up from to 73 in January compared to 51 a year earlier; residential break and enters were up to five from four; and criminal code offences were up to 109 from 93. Among persons offences, common assaults were up for the month.
Robberies were also up 200 percent for the month, but in fact this represented an increase from one to three instances, according to Insp. Sutherland’s report.
Business break and enters saw no change from a year earlier, with two offences reported, and there were declines in property offences from 157 to 152 and in drug offences from 15 to 10. Provincial traffic offences also fell from 133 to 85 and impaired operation of a motor vehicle fell from 24 to 20.
Liquor act offences did increase from 30 to 32 and motor vehicle collisions went up from 21 to 30.
There were eight foot patrols recorded by the RCMP and also numerous vehicle patrols in January. In addition to the RCMP, the city’s Community Safety Officers, part of municipal enforcement, performed 19 foot patrols.
In addition to the RCMP report, Fire Chief Albert Headrick delivered the report of municipal enforcement activities and noted they continued to concentrate on school zones in January, and also continue with downtown patrols though they are noticing fewer problems.
The Community Safety Officers have also been busy checking licence plates and registrations and have issued a substantial amount of tickets due to a very high number of unregistered vehicles on the roads.
Headrick said at the planning committee meeting there is “zero tolerance” when it comes to driving without a licence or registration of a vehicle, as vehicles can be impounded for three days with fines of $580.
