The news was not all bad, but 2015 was still a disappointing year of increases in crime activities in North Battleford.
RCMP S/Sgt. Darcy Woolfitt presented the quarterly statistical year-to-date numbers for North Battleford for 2015 to council Monday. And just like what the town of Battleford had seen in their numbers recently, crime was up in several categories in the city.
The main increases were in person offences, up 23 per cent from 996 in 2014 to 1,230 in 2015; property offences, up 16 per cent from 2,617 to 3,031; criminal code offences, up 14 per cent from 1,779 to 2,022; liquor act offences, up eight per cent from 452 to 490; and municipal bylaw offences up eight per cent from 156 to 170.
Other crime categories were relatively stable. Business break and enters were up to 44 from 40 but residential B and Es were down from 137 to 134. Drug offences were up slightly, from 165 to 166.
While these numbers were discouraging, there was some positive news to report. Two categories of offences showed a decrease and both were driving and traffic related.
Impaired driving of a motor vehicle offences went down from 314 to 296 for a five per cent drop. As well, provincial traffic offences were down from 1,531 to 1,188.
Motor vehicle collision calls were up, however, from 244 to 306.
All in all, the numbers were not of the sort that got anyone on council cheering. But in his report to council, Woolfitt made clear the RCMP are in the process of making a number of changes to enhance their ability to prevent crime.
Woolfitt updated council on moves by the detachment towards implementing intelligence-led policing, something the RCMP has spoken of a few times in recent months.
To meet their objective of effectively implementing the intelligence-led policing, the detachment wants to add a research assistant and that plan continues to move forward. Also, one of their rural corporal positions was transitioned into a watch sergeant position, so now there is a full complement of sergeants for all four watches for the detachment, said Woolfitt. They also plan to add an office manager.
The detachment is looking to increase effectiveness of operational police service delivery. Those include more effective supervision through case management early closure, increasing patrol and intelligence gathering time through times savings using PROS Data Centre and employing an effective offender management strategy.
Finally, they want to increase effectiveness and sustainability of community policing initiatives. That includes use of the HUB and working with the fire department and liquor inspector to monitor the sale and consumption of alcohol. In December the Battlefords Liquor Compliance Team conducted their first inspections and visited 10 establishments, and staff were co-operative at all places.
The RCMP also sought to increase collaboration between the City and their other partners to implement or introduce crime reduction initiatives; increase contact by members through initiatives such as crime free multi-housing, community Safety Audits, Neighbourhood Watch and Citizens on Patrol and implementation of environmental initiatives to reduce idling of police cars.
In the question and answer session that followed, Councillor Ray Fox noted there were more people on the street and more panhandling.
He wanted to know what the numbers were and Woolfitt noted a number fell into the “criminal code” category, which covers offences such as mischief or causing a disturbance.
Many of those situations have been dealt with by incarcerations and fines, but Woolfitt observed that approach was not solving the issues.
“There are certain things we’ve been doing that are not working,” said Woolfitt.
He made the point incarceration wasn’t the answer. The “cure has to be social programs and finding places where these people can deal with their additions problems” and manage their life without falling back on drugs and alcohol, he said.
