While social agencies had predicted an increase in domestic abuse during the pandemic since spouses were spending more time together, recent police data is now backing up those concerns.
The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) responded to 17 calls about domestic abuse in August, compared to five during the same time last year, according to recent statistical information. Since January, police have responded to 112 calls about domestic abuse, compared to 76 calls during the same time last year. This represents an increase of 47.4 per cent.
The increase in domestic abuse incidents is part of the overall increase in crimes against the person to 376 incidents year-to-date (YTD) from 342 incidents, or 9.9 per cent, police Chief Rick Bourassa said during the Sept. 15 Board of Police Commissioners meeting.
“… we are seeing what we had anticipated seeing in terms of increased levels of violence (and) increased disruptions within households that we’re responding to,” he continued. “So we anticipated that within the pandemic and with some of the stressors that brings. So we continue to respond to those (and) work with our partners to move those forward.”
The police service is also seeing an increase in mental health calls, so its Police and Crisis Team (PACT) has been skillfully handling those proactively and reactively, Bourassa added.
Commissioner Mary Lee Booth wondered whether the domestic disputes were between intimate partners or between kids and parents stuck at home.
It’s a little of both, Bourassa replied. Much of it has been intimate partner violence, but there has also been abuse related to parental challenges or romantic relationships.
“There have been a lot of predictions that domestic dispute would increase given the COVID situation,” Booth said. With the PACT unit handling calls, she wondered if the MJPS was working with other community organizations to perform preventative work in this area.
The police service is working with other agencies, but one problem has been the work has slowed due to the pandemic, replied Bourassa. However, the MJPS is working with the Regina Sexual Assault Centre to establish a location here since it has a large clientele who travel from Moose Jaw.
Police are unsure when or if that will happen, he added, but they have worked with the centre for a few years and hope to move that initiative forward.
Crimes against the person data
Numbers for crimes against the person for August 2019 and 2020 show:
- Attempted murder: 0 / 1
- Sexual assaults: 2 / 4
- Common assaults: 17 / 14
- Assault with a weapon/cause bodily harm: 3 / 6
- Aggravated assault: 1 / 0
- Threats under section 810: 8 / 8
Crimes against property
Crimes against property YTD have decreased to 794 incidents from 909 incidents for a 12.7 per cent decline, Bourassa said. However, there has been an increase in break-ins to businesses to 40 incidents from 22 episodes, or an 81.8-per-cent jump. Furthermore, there have also been more break-ins to other places, such as sheds, compounds and storage units, to 73 episodes YTD from 48 incidents, or a 52.1-per-cent increase.
“Our people have been working on those. We’ve executed a number of search warrants and have recovered a lot of property,” he remarked. “It connects directly to the alarm bylaw, to places that are (armed, so) that’s helpful.”
Bourassa added there are no patterns to the break-ins, but police have arrested several people connected with the incidents.
Commissioner Heather Eby noted there were four incidents of arson in August compared to none in August 2019. She wondered if they were connected.
There has been an increase in arson, particularly with people lighting garbage cans on fire, explained deputy police Chief Rick Johns. There could be a connection, but police have not yet made that determination. Instead, they will continue to monitor the situation.
Crimes against property data
Numbers for crimes against property for August 2019 and 2020 show:
- Break-ins to businesses: 2 / 1
- Break-ins to residences: 10 / 4
- Other break-ins: 6 / 4
- Motor vehicle theft: 5 / 6
- Theft over $5,000: 4 / 0
- Theft under $5,000: 61 / 38
- Arson: 0 / 4
- Mischief over $5,000 (property damage): 10 / 28
Other incidents
- Vehicle accidents over $1,000: 15 / 16
- Provincial liquor infractions: 13 / 7
- Summary offence tickets: 103 / 86
- Cocaine: 2 / 0
- Methamphetamine: 2 / 0
- Other CDSA drugs: 1 / 4
Total calls for service: 1,413 / 1,464
The next Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 20.
