A tough 2010 crime year came to a close for the Battlefords detachment of the RCMP, which found itself responding to an increasing amount of crime calls during the year.
Final statistics for the year were presented by Staff Sgt. Phil Wilson to North Battleford's municipal services committee Monday night.
The statistics showed increases in most areas, starting with calls for service. A total of 14,881 calls for service came in during 2010, compared to 14,430 last year.
Increases were recorded in several areas, including person offences (up from 686 to 953), business break and enters (up from 39 to 62), property offences (up from 2,611 to 2,797), criminal code offences (up from 1,783 to 1,879), drug offences (up from 75 to 151), impaired driving (up from 849 to 1,125) and false alarms (up from 849 to 1,125).
Recording decreases were residential break and enters (down from 215 to 168), liquor acts (from 523 to 306), motor vehicle collisions (from 384 to 282), provincial traffic offences (from 1,923 to 1,876) and municipal bylaw offences (from 336 to 198).
According to Wilson's report, the increases in property crimes and other Criminal Code offences can be attributed to the correct scoring of incidents that previously may have been classified under the Liquor Act.
Numbers for the month of December 2010 were also presented, with those statistics showing not much improvement.
Person offences in December were up to 63 from 56 the previous December, property offences up to 159 from 138, criminal code offences up to 116 from 112, drug offences up to 13 from five, motor vehicle collisions up to 55 from 47, impaired driving up to 23 from 19 and municipal bylaws up to 13 from 11.
The good news was across the board drops in break and enters, with business break and enters, down from four to one and residential down from 13 to three. Provincial traffic offences also dropped in December from 106 to 102.
In total 158 charges were laid in December. There were 107 false alarms and 65 calls for assistance in December. As well , there were 11 foot patrols recorded, bringing the total for 2010 to 122.
While many of the numbers saw the continuation of the usual familiar crime trends, the declining number of break and enters was pleasing to Councillor Ron Crush.
"It gives me a little bit of comfort to citizens in the community that that is down," said Crush.
Wilson also responded to questions about the RCMP's ride-along program. Wilson responded there isn't an "official" ride-along program anymore because of liability issues and concerns that those riding with the officers might be exposed to danger in the line of duty.
These days, if any ride-alongs do happen the officers providing the ride have to be out of active duty. If ride-alongs were going on and the RCMP had to respond to a call "we will have to kick them out," Wilson said.
Wilson introduced Cpl. Jason Teniuk, who will be taking over Sgt. Rob Lutzko's role at the RCMP detachment as Lutzko is being transferred. Lutzko's final day at the detachment is Jan. 21.
December proved to be a busy month overall for the Battlefords detachment as they had to respond to numerous incidents over the course of the month. A couple of impaired-driving charges were laid Dec. 4 and again following an accident on Poundmaker Trail Dec. 7.
Two youths were charged with mischief and breach of probation following a Dec. 8 complaint of a youth attempting to break into a vehicle. Another individual was charged with possession of marijuana following a routine check Dec. 10.
Police were called to an apparent stabbing incident Dec. 18. A man was found with stab wounds to his arms and legs. Further investigation determined the wounds were all self-inflicted, and the individual was subsequently charged with public mischief.
Police were also called to Gamex Bingo Dec. 27 following a complaint of two youths being in possession of a pellet gun and shooting it off. RCMP found two youths with an air rifle sitting in a van in front of the bingo hall. RCMP seized the rifle and charged the youths with possession of a weapon dangerous to the public peace. One youth was later also charged with two counts of failure to comply with conditions of an undertaking.
Finally, one woman was arrested Dec. 29 and charged with aggravated assault following two incidents. In one incident a male suffered a bloody nose; in the other incident a woman was sent to Battlefords Union Hospital with a head injury.
