ESTEVAN - The Estevan Police Service has seen an increase in most of its crime numbers for the first 10 months of the year.
Numbers compiled for the Nov. 22 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners show the EPS has had 6,909 calls for service through Oct. 31, up 23.2 per cent from the 5,610 calls received for the same time period last year. There were 673 calls for service in October, compared to 604 from October 2022.
The EPS handled 12 crimes against people in October, with nine assaults, two assaults causing bodily harm and one sexual crime. There were 10 assaults and two assaults causing bodily harm in October 2022.
For the first 10 months of the year, there were 118 crimes against people, with 89 assaults, 21 sexual crimes and eight assaults causing bodily harm. There were 126 such crimes in the first 10 months of last year.
Forty-seven crimes against property were filed in October, up from 26 from the same month in 2022. Twenty-six were thefts under $5,000, up substantially from seven in October 2022. Last month also saw 14 mischief/willful damage complaints, six calls for residential break and enters and one theft over $5,000.
So far this year, there have been 340 crimes against property, up 16 per cent from 294 for the same period last year. There have been 170 thefts under $5,000, 111 mischief/willful damage complaints, 40 break and enters – including 37 for residences, two for businesses and one for other, 10 thefts of a motor vehicle, eight thefts over $5,000 and one arson.
Police Chief Rich Lowen said the EPS tries to monitor where these occurrences happen, but there isn't a pattern that can be specifically identified. They have made some arrests for these infractions during the year.
One charge for trafficking was laid under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in October, while no charges were laid under the act in October 2022. Twenty-seven CDSA charges have been laid this year, with 14 for trafficking and 13 for possession, compared to 25 for the first 10 months of 2022.
As for Criminal Code traffic violations, 10 charges were laid for impaired and exceed-related offences, three for impairment by drug and one for dangerous driving and other. It compares to 15 charges in October 2022.
A total of 132 charges for Criminal Code traffic violations have been laid this year, compared to only 91 for the first 10 months of last year. There have been 101 impaired/exceed-related offences through Oct. 31, up 46 per cent from last year's 69 for the same time.
Lowen pointed out impaired driving numbers have been up across the province.
The 6,909 calls for service is down .6 per cent from the five-year average of 6,949.
The monthly report for Special Const. Anna Volmer, who is the city's bylaw enforcement officer, shows she had 77 occurrences last month, led by 21 animal calls, 14 unkempt property violations, 11 parking violations and 14 listed as other bylaw.
She had 1,107 calls for the first 10 months of the year, led by 224 animal calls, 208 unkempt property inspections, 172 parking violations, 76 snow removal notices and 248 other bylaw infractions.
Five cat traps were set up last month. Mayor Roy Ludwig suggested being pro-active with the number of cats at the Willow Park Greens Home Park, by setting up traps to get the cats caught and neutered before they start breeding in the spring.
Insp. Warren Morrical said it will be important to deploy the traps properly, but he also cautioned that it's difficult to deploy them when its -20 C because they don't want to harm the animals they're trying to help.
