REGINA - The final stats are in for what was another busy year for Regina Police Service in 2023.
The numbers were from the statistical reports presented to the Regina Board of Police Commissioners meeting on Jan. 23. According to those numbers, total calls for service to Regina Police in 2023 are 84,045, up from 78,970 for an increase of 6.4 percent.
Of those, crimes against the person are up 22 percent from last year from 2563 to 3128. This includes an increase in homicides from 7 to 9 and increase in attempted murders from 16 to 23. Robbery is also up 31.3 per cent, from 262 to 344, and there are also increases seen in all levels of assault.
Crimes against property are also showing an uptick from 10,391 to 10,695, or 2.9 percent. Of those, arson was a particular issue, up from 349 to 433 or 24.1 percent, but overall break and enters were down 5.6 percent with residential break and enters down 18.1 percent. Thefts of motor vehicles also were down 25.4 percent and when combined with attempted thefts of motor vehicles, the total is a 21.3 percent reduction year to date.
For criminal code traffic offences, there were 7.6 percent more impaired driving but a decline of 23.6 percent in dangerous driving offences. There were 14,068 traffic tickets issued, up 11.8 percent, and automated speed enforcement tickets were up 43.2 percent to 11631.
Regina Police Chief Farooq Hassan Sheikh is brand new in the role, coming in from Alberta near the end of 2023 to fill the role left by the retirement of former Police Chief Evan Bray. What he sees in the Regina police stats is similar to what’s been happening elsewhere, but he did notice some differences.
“There’s issues of drugs wherever you go, and that’s an issue across the country, across the world as well. Robberies is an issue, breaking entries is an issue, homicide is an issue. What I am pleased to say is I’ve never seen the solvability rates here when it comes to homicide… Any homicide is one too many. But when we do have a homicide, as the Chief I want to see positive closure for the victims’ family, and to apprehend and (bring to) justice the person who’s done it. What I have seen is incredible work ethics when it comes to in particular homicides, and probably more than I’ve seen anywhere else.”
In his report to the board, Sheikh noted that 41 percent of the robbery cases are solved, and that of the nine homicides in 2023 Regina Police had solved all of them. Sheikh also noted all of the homicides for 2022 and 2021 were solved as well. He credited the work of Regina Police staff and investigators for the high solvability rates.
“In the 31 years I’ve been policing all around the world, I’ve never seen positive results like that anywhere,” Sheikh told the board.
One concern seen in the report was the amount of overdose deaths. There were 151 reported overdose deaths in 2023, the second most in the city after recording 164 in 2021. There were 215 overdose occurrences reported in December alone.
"I think it's extremely challenging for the police service, the overdose rates have gone up," Sheikh said.
"And you know, my staff do their best to get there to try and support and try and help, but it's difficult because with overdoses there's not a lot we can control as a police service… it’s challenging on the officers as well having to deal with those calls. So we’re doing our best to deal with it and we’ll continue to do our best.”
