Insp. John Sutherland had some interesting new statistical numbers to share in his report of RCMP activities before North Battleford city council at last week’s meeting.
The second quarter crime statistics were presented and there was some improvement compared to 2016. For the period April to June, calls for service overall were down from 3,711 to 3,406 this year.
In particular, crime numbers were down in the categories of person offences, business break and enters, Criminal Code offences, Liquor Acts, provincial traffic offences and impaired operation of a motor vehicle. The drop in provincial traffic offences was significant, from 350 down to 209.
However, there were still some notable trouble spots. The most glaring one was an increase in property offences from 820 in April-June 2016 to 845 for the same period in 2017.
Sutherland noted this number was influenced by thefts from vehicles and shoplifting offences.
The RCMP and the city have been conducting public information campaigns with respect to both crimes, and a shoplifting seminar has been scheduled to take place at the Battlefords Chamber of Commerce in the last week of August.
There was also an increase in drug offences from 29 to 50, however, that rise was attributed to increased enforcement.
Insp. Sutherland cautioned that because North Battleford is a small market the numbers do vary a bit. Still, this was another quarter of good statistical news for the most part, as first quarter numbers also showed declines from 2016.
An increase was also noted with “missing persons,” from 64 to 71, most of which are runaways or those reported missing when they do not return home. Sutherland also noted they were able to find every missing person; he said a multi-agency report was needed to address the root causes of why they were running away.
In other news, Sutherland confirmed a new role for community safety co-ordinator Herb Sutton.
Sutton will be taking on a half-time position as Community Program Co-ordinator. According to Sutherland’s report submitted to council, Sutton will continue working with the city as their safety co-ordinator but will also now be assisting the RCMP in developing community policing strategies in the rural area, and in particular working along with the First Nations and the schools in the detachment area.
What this will do for Sutton, Sutherland said, is “give him direct access to our provincial and national community safety resources,” he said.
The RCMP detachment is also continuing to work with the city’s Community Safety Officers as the expanded “tiered policing” now takes effect in the community.
As of June 1, the RCMP have begun forwarding all calls for service for “non-in-progress” theft-under and mischief complaints to the CSOs.
As of Aug. 17, there have been 53 calls forwarded to the CSOs since June, according to Sutherland’s report. The majority of theft-under and mischief complaints are those “in progress,” however, which does require a uniformed RCMP officer to be present.
As well, Sutherland reported that he is working with the Community Policing Support Team, the community safety co-ordinator and city manager to develop standard operating procedures to integrate the use of the CSOs into community outreach intiatives such as joint foot patrols and having a uniformed presence out in the community.
