If North Battleford is going to rid itself of the dubious title of Crime Capital of Canada, the RCMP's city detachment crime statistics for 2012 probably need to improve, and soon.
Person offences are down, but most other offences are up for the year in a March crime report compiled by Battlefords City Detachment of the RCMP. The report was presented at Monday's council meeting by Staff Sgt. Phil Wilson.
In the report, it was noted person offences for the first three months of 2012 were down from 212 to 190 compared to last year, but business break and enters were up from six to 12, residential break and enters were up from 22 to two, property offences up from 491 to 600, criminal code offences up from 365 to 436, drug offences up from 52 to 130, and liquor acts up from 59 to 65.
Provincial traffic offences are up from 372 to 754.
On the positive side motor vehicle collisions are down from 120 to 63. There were 79 impaired operation of a motor vehicle and 34 municipal bylaw offences. False alarms are down from 231 to 189 and calls for assistance were also down from 221 to 206.
In total, calls for service are up to 3462 from 3151 for the year and are up to 1193 from 1069 for the month of March compared to the same month in 2011.
The monthly statistics showed a similar grim outlook with every statistical category showing an increase except liquor acts, motor vehicle collisions, municipal bylaw offences, false alarms and calls for assistance.
Compared to March 2011, crime is up in March 2012 for person offences from 69 to 74, from two to five for business break and enters, from six to 10 for residential break and enters, from 172 to 223 for property offences, from 128 to 175 for criminal code offences, from 23 to 35 for drug offences, and from 108 to 312 for provincial traffic offences.
Despite what seems like discouraging numbers, Wilson noted many increases in crime categories were directly a result of self-generated enforcement activity in a number of areas by the detachment.
"Enforcement activities of all the activities that we do that are self-generated are also up," noted Wilson, pointing to stopping vehicles, enforcing traffic, impaired driving laws and drug offences.
He added that he expects the foot patrol and bike programs will be back up and running soon. There were four foot patrols in March and 32 for the year so far.
Not mentioned in either the statistical report or at council Monday were any crime activities of interest, something that until recently was usually included in the RCMP crime reports to council.
One of the activities of note for RCMP last month would have been the investigation into the fire that took place at the Jesus is Alive building at the corner of 104th Street and Railway Avenue. The owners of the property have blamed arsonists for the fire and it has been deemed suspicious. No update was provided and no questions were asked about the fire by councillors.
In his comments on the crime report, Councillor Ron Crush said he appreciated the staff sergeant's comments on the self-generated activity, which he thought was important because it was "part of the prevention."
As for the statistics themselves, Crush didn't seem overly concerned.
"Certainly there have been blips up and down in terms of all of our crime stats," he said. "That's just the way it is - we don't have a crystal ball and we can't go out there and get it all.
"I think a continued presence in the community will continue to have results for us in the long run," said Crush.
