Battlefords RCMP Inspector Tom Beck, back left, gave an update on crime statistics for the town at Monday's council meeting. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

RCMP crime report

Latest crime report for Battleford shows impaired driving, drug-related offences up

Oct 20, 2020 | 4:13 PM

The latest RCMP statistics for the Town of Battleford show an increase in impaired driving and drug-related reports.

Battlefords RCMP Inspector Tom Beck presented the report for the third quarter period, from July to September, at council’s meeting Monday.

In giving his report, Beck said some of the RCMP’s priorities continue to be improving road safety and tackling gang violence.

In the latest numbers, the total calls for service increased by three per cent for the year-to-date compared to the same time last year, with 1,015 reports for the 2020 period, compared to 981 in 2019. The tally for the third quarter was 373, lower than the 417 reported for the same period in 2019.

Impaired driving offences increased by a whopping 123 per cent for the year to date, with 29 reports for the current period, compared to 13 for the same time last year. For the third quarter there were 14 cases reported, more than twice the six reported in the prior year’s period.

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Beck said higher numbers can likely be attributed to more proactive policing in catching more offenders on the roads.

Drug related offences saw a significant increase, with 11 reports for the year to date, higher than the three reports in 2019. For the third quarter period there were five reports this year, compared to one for the same time last year.

Beck said with the higher numbers both in impaired driving cases and drug offences, it shows the police are actually going out and dealing with offenders proactively.

Beck said an RCMP task force that is solely focused on combatting organized crime in the greater Battlefords area likely has a lot to do with the amount of cases identified in this quarterly report.

On a positive note, property offences saw a decrease, with 207 reports for 2020 so far, compared to 271 for the same time in 2019. The third quarter tally was 71 reports, significantly lower than the 126 reported for the period last year.

Business and residential break and enters had lower numbers. Crimes against persons, including assaults and robbery reports, saw a drop in the year to date tally for 2020 as well.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW