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Criminal Code files down, MVA files up in city
Policing in the City of Cranbrook and area was a fairly static thing in 2016, with Cranbrook RCMP responding to 17 more calls for service over 2015, with 8,284 for both the city and rural area.
Cranbrook RCMP Detachment commander S/Sgt. Hector Lee told city council last night in a fourth quarter and year-end report for 2016 that person offences (assaults, sexual assaults, robbery, threats, criminal harassment etc.) were down 10% over 2015, with 408 reported compared to 449.
Property related offences (arson, B&Es, mischief, thefts, fraud etc.) are also down over the previous year, with a seven per cent drop to 741 files from 793 in 2015.
There was also a drop in other Criminal Code related offences such as: causing a disturbance; firearms; public mischief; breach/bail violations; counterfeit currency and obstructing a police officer, with RCMP handling 357 such files in 2016 over 368 in 2015.
Police handled eight fewer Controlled Drugs & Substances Act files in 2016, with 92 compared to 100 in 2015. However, officers cleared more of those files (closed/solved) than the previous year, with a 79% clearance rate in 2016 compared to a 71% rate in 2015, S/Sgt. Lee reported.
While Criminal Code files were down across the board, Motor Vehicle Act files were up in the city in 2016.
While there were no fatality motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) within the city, there was a double fatality in the Gold Creek area south of the city.
There were 11 more injury MVAs in the city in 2016 over 2015, with 45, for a 32% increase. There was also a 21% increase in property damage MVAs, with 131 in 2016 compared to 117 in 2015. Overall, there as a 17% increase in MVAs inside the city.
Unfortunately, there as an increase in impaired driving files in 2016, with 10% of the MVAs reported above involving alcohol, a one per cent increase over the previous year.
Impaired driving charges were up 16% over the previous year, with 74 in 2016 compared to 64 in 2015. There were two fewer roadside suspensions in 2016, with 40 compared to 42 in 2015.
Officers were also possibly experiencing a little hand cramping as traffic tickets and warnings issued rose by 27% in 2016, with 1,915 issued compared to 1,507 in 2015.
Finally, the Cranbrook RCMP Detachment handled 946 prisoners in its cells in 2016, a five per cent decrease from 992 in 2015.
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