Vernon Matters file photo

By Liam Verster

Crime Stats

Most police calls on quarterly basis in Vernon

Aug 15, 2023 | 6:30 AM

Mounties in Vernon saw more calls for service in the second quarter of this year.

A report from Superintendent Shawna Baher to Vernon city council outlined the calls for service between April 1 and June 30 of 2023.

The report stated there were 5,095 calls for service, 1,730 criminal code violations and 1,019 property offences in the City of Vernon. On a quarterly basis, calls for service were up 0.45 per cent, criminal code violations were up 15.87 per cent, and property offences were up 16.72 per cent.

As of the end of the second quarter, there had been 9,414 calls for service in Vernon. Those included 2,067 criminal code violations and 1,759 property offences.

On an annual basis, calls for service in Vernon were down 1.37 per cent, though criminal codes offences were up 5.97 per cent and property offences had increased 3.53 per cent.

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Comparatively, Coldstream saw calls for service and property offences decline on a quarterly and an annual basis, and while criminal code violations were down on a year-to-year comparison they were up in the second quarter compared to the first three months of 2023.

Vernon Rural saw property offences fall on both a quarterly and annual basis, though both calls for service and criminal code violations saw increases.

Image courtesy of the RCMP via the City of Vernon

The RCMP report stated there were 194 reports to Crown counsel, 84 individuals taken into custody, and 137 mental health calls between Vernon and Coldstream in the second quarter (Q2). Those bring the year-to-date totals to 383 files forwarded, 520 prisoners and 216 mental health calls.

The quarterly report broke down the crimes seen in Vernon over the three month period.

The crime with the highest overall total for Q2 was theft under $5,000, which accounted for 358 of the calls. Comparatively, there were 300 of such crimes in the same quarter of 2022.

The other crimes that made up the calls in Q2 included 153 assaults, including domestic violence; 134 motor vehicle accidents; and 94 theft from vehicle instances.

Assaults, including domestic assaults, and theft from vehicles were both down from Q2 of 2022 when there were 157 and 127, respectively. However, there was an increase from the 113 motor vehicle accidents recorded during the same three months the previous year.

The RCMP report noted there were 264 traffic violation tickets and 462 warnings issued in Vernon during Q2, bringing the year to date totals to 656 tickets and 1,079 warnings handed out.

Baher told council the number of prolific offenders in Vernon has dropped to 15, down from 19 in the first three months of the year.

Speaking with Vernon Matters following the meeting, Mayor Victor Cumming stated it was disappointing to see the numbers go up.

“We’re never satisfied with that [increase] and neither is the Superintendent,” Cumming stated.

“These are realities and we’re really disappointed with them.”

He noted the largest increases identified were theft and motor vehicle accidents, and stated theft was the one that needed the most attention.

During her presentation, Baher indicated some of that theft increase could be linked to more use of security cameras in Vernon, which Cumming did see as a positive.

“Having footage is just really helpful,” Cumming told Vernon Matters.

“So all the commercial folks who are now running small video cameras is excellent.”

Additionally, the RCMP provided some of the files of note in the Q2 report.

Among those were the arrest of a 35-year-old who was charged with a number of offences including robbery, assault with a weapon, and assault of a police officer April 10; the arrest of a 48- year-old man for drug trafficking on May 31 and arresting him again June 1 while he was in possession of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine; the dismantling of a suspicious device, which remains under investigation, on June 14; and assisting with seven victim interviews with regards to sexual assault or sexual interference crimes against children.