Police are seeing a change in the type and severity of violence being used against people, with officers responding to more incidents of assault that include weapons, the chief says.
The Moose Jaw Police Service responded to 293 incidents of assault from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30, an increase from 287 incidents during the same period last year, the November statistics show. This is an increase of six incidents or 2.1 per cent.
The statistics list different types of assaults, including sexual, common, assault with a weapon/cause bodily harm, aggravated and against police.
Aggravated assault is where someone intends to wound, maim or disfigure another person, Chief Rick Bourassa explained during the Board of Police Commissioners’ Dec. 8 meeting. This category sits at seven incidents versus four last year, a jump of three or 75 per cent.
“We investigate all of those, and in most of these cases, we are able to lay charges because the person is identified,” he added. “Overall, we are never pleased to see any incidents of violence against the person.”
Year-to-date, the number of crimes against people is 417, compared to 435 last year, a decrease of 4.1 per cent.
Data comparing this year to last shows:
- Homicide: 1 / 0
- Attempted murder: 2 / 2
- Assaults (all): 293 / 287
- Robbery: 8 / 5
- Threats under section 810: 75 / 52
- Domestic disputes: 91 / 159
- Total: 417 / 435
Meanwhile, Bourassa said crimes against property have been “relatively stable” year over year with a slight 1.4-per-cent increase, although business break-ins remain a problem. Year-to-date, there have been 67 such incidents compared to 42 last year, a jump of 59.5 per cent.
Data on property crimes this year versus last year show:
- Break-ins (business, residence, other): 262 / 300
- Motor vehicle theft: 61 / 55
- Theft over $5,000: 20 / 17
- Theft under $5,000: 801 / 673
- Arson: 8 / 29
- Mischief over $5,000: 309 / 358
- Total: 1,898 / 1,872
Other data comparing this year to last year shows:
- Impaired driving: 118 / 121
- Failing to comply with court orders: 772 / 807
- Vehicle collisions over $1,000: 250 / 204
- Provincial liquor infractions: 141 / 161
- Summary offence tickets: 1,285 / 1,653
- Drugs (cocaine, marijuana, meth, other): 33 / 65
The next Board of Police Commissioners meeting is Thursday, Jan. 12.
