Crime in Grand Forks and Christina Lake was down overall in 2024 compared to statistics in 2023, but there were increases in several categories, including impaired driving, break and enters, thefts from vehicles and sexual offences.
The year-end statistics from the RCMP, which the Gazette received on Jan. 8, showed total calls for service to the Grand Forks detachment were 2,317. A slight decline from 2,353 in 2023.
Cases that involved a violent person had a major jump from 76 in 2023, to 115 in 2024. Total property crimes increased from 175, to 242. Total Criminal Code cases increased from 298 in 2023, to 436 for 2024.
There were no robberies or homicides for the year, compared to one homicide for 2023. Assaults were down slightly as well, from 42 in 2023, to 40 in 2024. Auto theft was also down from 17 in 2023, to 14 in 2023.
All other crimes, though, showed an increase. The most notable was thefts from motor vehicles, which jumped from nine in 2023, to 14 in 2024. The second highest increase was sexual offences, from nine in 2023, to 14. Break and enters also had a notable increase, from 11 in 2023, to 18.
There were also more drug investigations, from three in 2023, to seven in 2024.
Looking at traffic and impaired cases, vehicle collisions were up overall, from 66 in 2023, to 74 in 2024. Impaired driving cases had a slight increase: 10 in 2023 and 15 in 2024. Motor vehicle accidents involving impaired driving were down, however, from 30 in 2023, to 18 in 2024. There were no fatal collisions in 2024, but there were two in 2023.
Community call statistics saw a sharp increase in both mental-health related calls – 111 in 2024 compared to 62 in 2023, as well as files involving alcohol and drugs: 115 in 2024 compared to 46 in 2023.
Negative contacts with youth were down, three in 2024 compared to six in 2023. Domestic violence calls were also down to three for 2024, compared to seven in 2023.
