There were more than 1,100 calls for RCMP service in Williams Lake.
According to crime trend reporting for 2019, there was a six percent increase in calls for the City for January and February compared to the same period last year.
There were 340 calls for service in the rural area meanwhile which is a six percent decrease.
“That is not relative to displacement or anything like that, and some of those are contributed to a proactiveness with respect to ongoing investigations,” said Williams Lake RCMP Inspector Jeff Pelley at Tuesday’s committee of whole council meeting.
The following trends were outlined by Pelley:
- Crimes against persons have decreased 23% with 27 offences in 2019 and 35 offences in 2018
- Theft of vehicles have increased 200% with 9 offences in 2019 and 3 offences in 2018
“Theft of vehicle are up by a few offences but it was down last year 40 percent so we are seeing some strides there and most of that was tied to certain offenders that we’re focusing on that do get released from custody,” Pelley said.
- Theft from vehicles have decreased 73% as there were 4 offences in 2019 and 15 offences in 2018
- Break and Enter to residences have increased with 11 offences in 2019 and 3 offences in 2018
- Break and Enter to businesses have increased with 5 offences in 2019 and 3 offences in 2018
“We’ve had some successes such as one that we focused on this week where we recovered some stolen property from a multi-jurisdictional community and basically with respect with firearms and drug trafficking and those type of offenses as well, and that’s due to the proactiveness of our crime reduction unit working with Quesnel, 100 Mile, out to Alexis Creek,” Pelley said.
“A big compliment to Quesnel as well on multiple judicial authorizations and search warrants on offenders that are through the corridor between here and Prince George.”
- Mischief Under $5000 offences have increased 28 offences in 2019 and 16 offences in 2018
- Robberies have decreased 25% with 3 offences in 2019 and 4 offences in 2018
- Assault offences have increased 14% with 33 offences in 2019 and 29 offences in 2018
- Assault with a Weapon or Causing Bodily Harm offences have increased with 10 offences in 2019 and 3 offences in 2019 and 3 offences in 2018
- Drug possession offences decreased 55% with 9 offences in 2019 and 20 offences in 2018
- Drug trafficking offences have increased 67% with 5 offences in 2019 and 3 offences in 2018
- Collisions have decreased by 42% with 32 reported collisions in 2019 and 55 reported collisions in 2018
“Our drug possession and drug trafficking offenses have increased substantially and that’s due to proactiveness of our crime reduction unit focusing on drug trafficking with a direct correlation to violent offenders or offenders with weapons,” Pelley said noting the Crime Reduction Unit executed 33 arrest warrants in 2018 for offenders who were not from the community.
The Williams Lake RCMP conducted 87 curfew checks for the month of February 2019 on approximately 20 individuals.
“Our priorities are reducing violent crimes involving drug trafficking, weapon offences, as well as property offences,” Pelley said.
“Our second priority is the drug trafficking and drug prevention and education, within the community and support groups as well working with vulnerable individuals in reducing calls for service, and our third initiative has to do with reducing calls for service or crimes through community support groups and there’s a number of initiatives that we have throughout that.”
Pelley added there is however always one aspect RCMP like to focus on internally which is police modernization through technology and training.
“Without a healthy membership and without witness management and victim management we cannot be successful.”