Calls for RCMP Service up 2% in Williams Lake

There was a two percent increase in calls for RCMP service in the City of Williams Lake last year.

A crime trending report was presented to Williams Lake Council this week by RCMP Insp. Jeff Pelley.

A total of 7,911 calls for service were made between the period of January 1st to December 31st, 2018 with 2,871 calls for service in the rural area.

“Theft of vehicles have decreased 58 percent,” Pelley said.

“Our theft from vehicles have increased 90 percent but it is a decrease from the previous few months where it was up 118 percent.”

As for the actors contributing to the spike in theft from vehicles, Pelley told MyCaribooNow that they had a number of offenders that appear to be targetting vehicles simultaneously as well as crimes of opportunity.

“Some aspects involve items in their vehicle being left there unsecured, other aspects were just that the offenders this seemed to be their offense of choice,” he said.

“In September we focused on approximately 11 offenders over the course of a three week period. We’ve since had 25 charges approved of 27 arrests that occurred.”

Pelley adds that break and enters to businesses increased last year by two percent, but that it was a difference of a few offenses compared to 2017.

Also up by 6% was robberies, however, Pelley said that is only by a difference in one offense with respect to some shoplifters presenting a weapon who were subsequently charged with robbery as opposed to theft and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace.

“Our violent offenses involving assault with a weapon and causing bodily harm have decreased 40 percent,” he said.

“Our drug possession and drug trafficking offenses have increased dramatically but that’s due to the proactive targetting with respect to the core policing as well as our crime reduction unit in conjunction with our plainclothes unit.”