ESTEVAN — The Estevan Police Service has seen a 26.7 per cent increase in the number of calls for service in the first eight months.
According to figures released at the Sept. 19 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, members received 5,636 calls up to Aug. 31, as opposed to 4,449 a year earlier.
This past August saw more calls than the same month in 2022, with 724 occurrences versus 529.
However, when compared to the five-year average, which is at 5,669, the numbers are on par with general tendency.
As for the Criminal Code statistics, there were eight crimes against the person in August, with six assaults and two sexual crimes, compared to 13 for August 2022.
So far this year, the EPS has had 96 crimes against the person, with 73 assaults, 19 sexual crimes and four assaults causing bodily harm, which is down five per cent from 101 such charges in the first eight months of last year.
Crimes against property were at 43 for August, led by 24 thefts under $5,000, 13 mischief/wilful damage complaints, two thefts of a motor vehicle, and one each for residential, business and other break and enters. There was also one theft over $5,000. Thirty-two such infractions occurred in August 2022.
There were 261 crimes against property from Jan. 1-Aug. 31, up 19 per cent from the 220 for that stretch in 2022. This year's crimes against property have included 131 thefts under $5,000, 85 mischief/wilful damage complaints, 29 residential break and enters, two business break and enters, seven thefts of a motor vehicle, five thefts over $5,000 and one other break and enter.
There were just two charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in August, one for trafficking and one for possession, as compared to one for August 2022.
Twenty-three charges were laid under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in the first eight months of this year, with 12 for possession and 11 for trafficking, versus 25 a year earlier, which is an eight per cent decline.
Twenty-five charges were laid for Criminal Code traffic violations last month, including 24 for impaired/exceed-related offences and one for dangerous driving or other. Ten were laid in the same month last year.
So far this year, there have been 99 such violations – 79 for impaired/exceed-related offences, 10 for impairment by drug and 10 for dangerous driving and other. There were 69 Criminal Code traffic violations in the first eight months of 2022, so there has been a 43 per cent increase on a year-to-date basis.
Five-year averages for each category are 88.8 for crimes against the person, 218.2 for crimes against property, 84.4 for Criminal Code traffic violations and 26.8 for the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.
Also released was the August report for Spec. Const. Anna Volmer, the city's bylaw enforcement officer. It showed 26 animal-related calls, 13 vehicle-related issues, 23 unkempt property inspections, and 21 other bylaw violations, among other occurrences.
So far this year she has had a total of 958 occurrences, including 224 other bylaw instances, 182 animal calls, 172 unkempt property inspections and 154 parking violations leading the list of her activities.
The City of Estevan is also inviting interested citizens to sit on the Estevan board of police commissioners as members at large.
If you are interested in becoming one of two members at large, please send a letter explaining your qualifications and what past experiences you have that could benefit this board, in writing, by Nov. 10 to: City Clerk, 1102 Fourth Street, Estevan, SK, S4A 0W7. Phone 306-634-1852 or email at cityclerk@estevan.ca, for more information. A criminal records check may be required.
