Police have answered more calls this year over 2020, data shows

The Moose Jaw Police Service has responded to 145 more calls in 2021 than during the same time in 2020, although crimes against people and property have declined year-to-date.

The organization answered 3,496 calls for service from January to March this year, compared to 3,351 during the same time in 2020, an increase of 4.3 per cent, according to recent statistical data. Officers responded to 1,212 calls this past March, compared to 1,099 last March.

Total crimes against the person were 109 incidents during the first three months of this year, compared to 146 incidents during the same time in 2020, a decline of 25.3 per cent.

“We’re happy with that,” Police Chief Rick Bourassa said during the April 13 meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners. “We hope this is a trend that we’re seeing.

I don’t want to draw any conclusions from the limited data, but that is promising.” Statistics for crimes against people during the first three months of this year versus last year show:

• Assaults (sexual/common/with weapon/ aggravated/against police): 51 / 80;

• Robbery: 0 / 3;

• Threats: 12 / 28;

• Domestic disputes: 45 / 34. Crimes against property are also down — which is a possible trend — but no conclusions should be drawn early in the year, Bourassa continued.

There have been 285 incidents of crimes against property year-to-date, compared to 298 incidents during the same time in 2020, the data showed. Data for March 2021 versus 2020 shows:

• Business break-ins: 20 / 22;

• Home break-ins: 29 / 22;

• Other break-ins: 22 / 35;

• Motor vehicle theft: 13 / 17;

• Theft over $5,000: 3 / 3;

• Theft under $5,000: 131 / 138;

• Arson: 4 / 0;

• Mischief under $5,000 (property damage): 73 / 61.

Police handed out 20 tickets for impaired driving during the first quarter of this year compared to 21 in 2020, while officers issued 164 tickets to people who failed to comply with court orders compared to 199 last year.

Other data for 2021 and 2020 show:

• Collisions over $1,000: 57 / 81;

• Provincial liquor infractions: 32 / 41;

• Summary offence tickets: 507 / 366;

• Cocaine: 1 / 2;

• Cannabis: 3 / 1;

• Methamphetamine: 7 / 1;

• Other CDSA drugs: 6 / 1.

The category of summary offence tickets has doubled year-over-year, Commissioner Doug Blanc said. He wondered why that increase had occurred.

One reason is due to the automated speed enforcement cameras, Bourassa said. There were very few vehicles on the road in March 2020 after the first pandemic lockdown went into effect. This past March was a return to normal and more people were on the roads.

There were also more opportunities for traffic enforcement, agreed Supt. Devon Oleniuk. While most officers with the provincial Combined Traffic Safety Services Saskatchewan issue electronic tickets to motorists, some members handwrite tickets, and those tickets appear in these statistics.