Battlefords RCMP Staff-Sgt. Jason Teniuk shown at town council's meeting Monday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

RCMP crime report

Battleford sees more break-ins, thefts

May 3, 2022 | 7:40 AM

Break and enters and thefts over $5,000 are on the rise in Battleford, based on the latest RCMP report for the first quarter.

Battlefords RCMP Staff-Sgt. Jason Teniuk gave an update on the January to March figures when he visited Town of Battleford council’s meeting Monday.

Teniuk attributes the increased crime partly to the impact of the high rate of inflation, with many goods more expensive to purchase now.

The report shows break and enters were almost double compared to last year, up to 16 cases for the period in 2022, from nine the year prior.

Within that category, break and enters to residences quadrupled, coming in with nine incidents in 2022, from two last year.

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“That’s something we’re seeing across the board – not just in Battleford or North Battleford… We’re seeing that all over the place,” Teniuk said. “That’s a reflection of the times we are in right now.”

He anticipates there will be further increases in these numbers in the short term.

Thefts over $5,000 more than doubled, with eight reports this year, up from three in 2021.

“We’re talking big-value items, like expensive machinery and ski-doos,” Teniuk said. “It’s something to be concerned about.”

However, vehicle thefts remained status quo, with 11 cases each in 2022 and 2021 for the period.

“No increase is a good one, but it would have been nice to see that number go down,” Teniuk said. “I expect that those numbers will [decrease]. That is the one I will predict.”

Mental Health Act calls doubled, with 24 cases reported in the 2022 first quarter.

“That is probably one of the biggest increases that concerns me at this point, for a number of reasons,” Teniuk said. “We’re seeing a general sense of coming out of Covid… I think that Covid has done some damage to us in terms of our mental health, some of us anyway.”

Serious crimes such as shooting incidents remained low. Teniuk credits the work of the Battlefords RCMP Gang Task Force in helping curb these types of activities.

Once again, Teniuk took the opportunity to discuss the value of the Battlefords Citizens on Patrol Program (COPP) in the region, and hopes to see the numbers of volunteer participants increase.

Mayor Ames Leslie noted the COPP are attempting to rebrand and create a new strategic plan. He added that the group’s membership is falling quickly within the program, which is a concern.

“They want to revamp to have a presence in the Town of Battleford,” Leslie said.

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angela.brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW