MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM — While crimes against people have spiked 13.4 per cent this year over last year, property crimes have risen by 4.2 per cent, mostly driven by thefts and break-ins to outdoor buildings.
Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) handled 1,488 incidents of property crime, compared to 1,428 offences during the same period in 2022, recent data shows.
Year-to-date (YTD) numbers for crimes against property for this year versus last year show:
- Break-ins (business, residence, other): 180 / 204
- Theft of motor vehicle: 35 / 41
- Theft over $5,000: 24 / 13
- Theft under $5,000: 731 / 589
- Arson: 0 / 8
- Mischief under $5,000: 216 / 267
“We have made a lot of arrests for breaking and entering and recovered a lot of property (during the past year),” Chief Rick Bourassa said during the recent Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting.
Break-ins to businesses have declined significantly compared to last year, to 39 incidents from 60, a drop of 35 per cent, he pointed out.
However, “other” break-ins climbed to 62 incidents from 51 occurrences last year, a jump of 21.6 per cent. The chief noted that this category includes any outbuilding, shed, unattached garage, storage container or trailer that isn’t connected to a home, dwelling or business.
“… it is unfortunate that these crimes happened. Some people are still harmed by those,” Bourassa added. “We will continue to work on that.”
Commissioner Doug Blanc said he has read on social media that offenders have targeted the Valley View Centre many times and damaged the venue. He wondered if the data captured those crimes.
The data does include the break-ins there — most incidents are damage or theft — while the police service is in contact with the owners about providing security to help them, said Bourassa.
Other criminal offences
Data for other crimes committed this year versus last year show:
- Impaired driving: 66 / 82
- Failing to comply with court orders: 247 / 651
- Threats: 38 / 56
- Domestic disputes: 40 / 63
- Provincial liquor infractions: 102 / 107
- Vehicle collisions over $1,000: 131 / 186
- Summary offence tickets: 1,471 / 999
Meanwhile, year-to-date, police have responded to 13,165 calls for service compared to 12,574 during the same period last year, an increase of 4.7 per cent, the data shows.
While the number of offences related to failing to comply with court orders declined by 62.1 per cent year-over-year, that isn’t entirely accurate, said Bourassa. This is due to changes in the recording system and the fact many incidents must still be entered.
Once the backlog is cleared, those numbers this year will likely be similar to the total numbers last year, he continued.
Traffic enforcement
The number of summary offence tickets handed out has increased 47.2 per cent year-over-year, a result of the agency assigning one more officer to handle traffic enforcement, Bourassa said.
The MJPS committed to providing four officers to work with Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan, with those members spending 30 per cent of their time in the city, he noted. The agency plans to add more traffic-focused officers per shift to handle issues such as issuing tickets, contacting people and providing warnings.
Calls for service
Meanwhile, the MJPS continues to see a demand for its services this year, similar to last year when it responded to nearly 20,000 calls, Bourassa said. People call and officers respond, while cops are also on the streets and in schools interacting with residents.
“Our folks are very busy and they’re feeling the busyness,” he said, adding the police service must also fill a couple of vacancies after several members retired recently.
The next Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting is Thursday, Oct. 19.
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