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Crime mostly down, traffic enforcement up
Posted on January 20, 2014 by Maple Creek The number of violations RCMP responded to has increased in the last year – mostly due to the local detachment amping up their patrols, the RCMP says.Police responded to a total of 2,178 reported incidents last year, according to the Maple Creek RCMP Detachment’s 2013 occurrence report. This was an increase of about 200 over the previous year. Sgt. Jeremy Allard attributes this to members upping their patrols, especially in the area of traffic enforcement. Between January and December 2013, RCMP laid 305 charges in relation to traffic violations. They also issued more warnings, doling out 210. Allard noted concerns from elected officials in the communities they serve resulted in increased enforcement at intersections. This led to a total of 88 intersection-related violations reported – up 59 from 2012. RCMP are meeting with RM and town councils to discuss their areas of concern this year, but so far Allard said it appears traffic violations continue to be the biggest concern for communities. “They’ve been satisfied with how the last year went,” he stated, noting the detachment will continue to focus on traffic enforcement and police visibility. There were 128 traffic accidents last year, resulting in 14 charges. Impaired driving reports were up one from the previous year to 42, with 16 charges laid. Drug trafficking and possession reports were up by eight at 22 reports in 2013, resulting in two charges. But crime was either on the decline or about the same as 2012 in other areas. Fifty-three assaults were reported – down two from the year before. Fifteen charges were laid. There were 49 reports of theft under $5,000, which was down eight from the previous year. One individual was charged. Twenty-three reports of theft over $5,000 were made – down one from 2012. Two charges were laid. Mischiefs were down significantly, with 71 reported and six charges laid. There were 96 reported in 2012. Break and enters reported were cut in half, with 20 calls to RCMP and two charges laid. “A lot of that has to do with increased patrols – just the spin-off of having a police car driving around more,” Allard explained. “People never know whether we’ll be turning the corner, so they think twice about committing criminal acts.” He added each member was expected to complete a certain amount of patrols each month in every community they serve to ensure they were visible to the public and watching for offenses. The Maple Creek RCMP Detachment currently has six members, as Const. Chelsea Vanderveen left the force in December. The local detachment is now comprised of Sgt. Allard, Cpl. Steve Boodram and constables Shawn Doane, Amanda Herring, Bill Webb and Kevin Marion. A new constable is expected to arrive from northern Saskatchewan later this month to bring the detachment back up to a full force of seven members. Allard noted local RCMP are not only actively serving the community when they’re on duty, but also through their volunteer work. A number of members enjoy giving their time to local clubs and groups such as the Maple Creek Figure Skating Club, Maple Creek Minor Soccer and the Cypress Cyclones. “We’re all part of this community, so we’re trying to remain active community members,” Allard said.
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