Major reported crimes in the Grand Forks, rural areas and Christina Lake are down, but other crimes such as break-and-enter, thefts from vehicles and cases involving alcohol and drugs have increased.
That is what the statistics are showing in the latest quarterly crime report presented to the City of Grand Forks by the RCMP detachment commander Sgt. Darryl Peppler. The statistics, cover the second quarter of the year: April, May and June for this year and comparative numbers from the second quarter in 2023.
Those numbers showed zero homicides and robberies for both this past second quarter and the same time last year. Assaults have been decreasing, from 17 by June of last year, to 10 for this past June. Auto thefts have also seen a significant drop, from 10 as of June, 2023, to five for this past second quarter.
Other crimes have been seeing increases, however, with thefts from vehicles seeing the largest spike, from three by June of 2023, to 13 for this past quarter.
Other areas that have seen increases are break-and-enter; from zero to four and sexual offences, one to three.
Overall, total violent crime cases for 2024 are 31, up from 20 in June, 2023. Total property crime cases also increased from 47 in June, 2023, to 94 as of this past June. Total Other crimes for this past June is 25 cases, up from 11 and total criminal cases totalled 150, up from 78 from the same time last year.
The detachment received a total of 678 calls for assistance by this past June, compared to 657 cases as of June of last year.
Under traffic and impaired cases, impaired driving was up, from five cases for the second quarter, 2023, to nine cases by this past June. Impaired driving that caused accidents, however, were down significantly, from 19 in 2023, to 11 for this past June. Motor vehicle collisions are almost even with the second quarter of last year: 16 for this year as opposed to 17 for the second quarter last year. There were no fatalities for this year’s quarter, there was one for the second quarter, 2023.
In the community, there have been significant rises in mental health calls and calls involving alcohol and drugs: 60 total for the second quarter of this year, compared to 20 for the same time in 2023. Mental health-related calls were almost double for this second quarter with 27, compared to 13 by June of 2023. Domestic violence calls were also down to two for this past second quarter. There were six for the second quarter last year. There have been no files involving negative youth contacts for this past second quarter. There were two for the second quarter in 2023.
