A year-over-year increase in certain crimes involving people, property and drugs has caused one police board commissioner to wonder if these issues also plague the rest of Saskatchewan.
The Moose Jaw Police Service presented November’s crime statistics during the Dec. 14 meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners.
Police Chief Rick Bourassa highlighted some areas that stood out in November and have stood out since January. This includes an increase in residential break-ins and crimes against property, including arsons.
Break-and-enters
Total break-ins — businesses, residences, and other — from Jan. 1 to Nov. 30 were 293 incidents compared to 254 during the same time last year, the report said. Residential break-ins stood at 154 incidents year-to-date (YTD) compared to 99 incidents YTD last year, an increase of 55.6 per cent.
“We continue to work on those. We have solved a number (of them),” said Bourassa. “Last year we saw a significant number of residential break-ins largely connected with just the change in behaviour patterns with the pandemic.”
Property crimes
Meanwhile, total YTD crimes against property stood at 1,398 episodes compared to 1,198 incidents YTD last year. In particular, there were 26 incidents of arson as of Nov. 30 compared to 16 episodes by the end of last November.
The police service’s criminal investigation section is looking into these arsons and has noticed a pattern on South Hill and the east side of the community, said Supt. Taylor Mickleborough.
The agency has asked for outside assistance to help identify patterns and follow those leads, he added. Police are finding good evidence and pursuing those angles, although that data cannot be discussed since investigations are ongoing.
Board concerns
Commissioner Doug Blanc expressed concern that many areas had increased year-over-year, particularly with sexual assaults, assaults against police, thefts and arsons.
Crime data showed there have been 53 sexual assaults YTD compared to 32 incidents YTD last year; 11 incidents of assaults against police YTD versus seven episodes YTD last year; 15 incidents of thefts over $5,000 YTD compared to 10 episodes YTD last year; and 657 incidents YTD of theft under $5,000 versus 524 episodes YTD last year.
Total YTD crimes against people stood at 496 incidents compared to 517 episodes YTD in 2020.
Arrests for methamphetamine possession also increased an “unbelievable” 285.7 per cent — 27 incidents YTD versus seven episodes YTD last year — which elicited a “wow” from Blanc. He wondered if these problems were common across the province.
Following trends
“We are not unique in these trends. There is always some local nuance, but these are patterns that we see in other jurisdictions … ,” said Bourassa. “We did see some increases in interpersonal conflicts during the pandemic (and) the stressors that were there.”
The agency is tracking sexual assaults and conducting extra work in that area, especially since those numbers are disturbing, he continued.
Bourassa planned to provide a report in January about a new related program but couldn’t reveal any details. Meanwhile, he noted that the agency is working with the Regina Sexual Assault Centre to help survivors.
Moose Jaw is now a satellite location for centre staff.
Drug problems
As for drugs, most charges are enforcement-driven, he continued. Police know that crystal meth is prevalent here but realize enforcement will not solve this problem.
Bourassa praised the now-defunct crystal meth strategy committee for producing two videos and the effect those films have had.
The first video surpassed the committee’s expectations since it now has more than 10,000 views on YouTube, said Commissioner Mary Lee Booth, who served on the committee. The videos were initially for residents, but they are now being shown in both Saskatchewan correctional centres and in other provinces.
While the committee’s awareness campaign is finished, many of its tools and informational pieces are still online, she added.
The next board of police commissioners’ meeting is Tuesday, Jan. 18.
