Most police statistics categories tracked by Thompson RCMP were down in April of this year compared to the same month of 2020, though assaults, break-and-enters and traffic collisions increased.
For the first four months of the year, the only crime categories that are up in Thompson from the same point last year are assaults, domestic assaults, sexual assaults and drug charges. The largest increase is in domestic assaults – there have been 23 more so far this year compared to the same time period in 2021 – while assaults are up by 15, sexual assaults by seven and drug charges by five.
The largest drops since last year are in public disorder complaints, which are down by 300, provincial traffic violations, which are down by 282, and missing persons/requests to locate, which have decreased by 225.
“The stats of 2021 are pretty much on pace with 2020,” Thompson RCMP detachment officer-in-charge Insp. Chris Hastie told the city’s recreation and community service committee members May 18. “There’s a noticeable decline in the number of public disturbance disorder reports, down about 300 between this year and last year. Overall, that works out to be three reports a day which, in the grand scheme of things, is not overly significant. I expect that when restrictions relax, within a couple of months that number will spike back up and normalize along the lines of 2019’s volume of reports.”
Although traffic enforcement statistics are down, Hastie said that is also changing, with more traffic infractions already in May than the 124 in April and six charges laid in connection to impaired driving, compared to three in April.
“This week is road safety week cross the province and the country, I believe, and also the May long weekend. We’re going to have some extra traffic enforcement around town and along the highway trying to be proactive and deterring illegal driving behaviour.”
Manitoba RCMP released its monthly crime statistics for the province May 19, which showed a drastic increase in calls for service in all three of the province’s district and the north leading the way in the number of crimes against persons, crimes against property and common police activities, which include non-criminal calls like well-being checks.
There were 739 crimes against persons this April in the north district, which covers from Grand Rapids to the Nunavut boundary, more than in the west and east districts combined. The north saw 850 crimes against property, slightly more than the 836 in the east district, and 993 common police activities, 200 more than in the east district. Drug offences in the districts were basically equal, with 54 each in the north and east districts and 56 in the west district. Three serious traffic collisions occurred in the north, compared to five in the west district and 10 in the east.
Calls for service increased by 47 per cent in the north district to 5,888 this April compared to 4,014 in 2020. The east district had more calls overall – 6,866 – while the west district saw the number of calls for service jump by 52 per cent from last year.
“There was a substantial increase in calls for service and a rise of criminal activity across the province in April 2021.This was not unexpected as public health orders were less restrictive in April 2021 as compared to April 2020. The numbers we are releasing today are more in-line with pre-pandemic statistics,” said Manitoba RFCMP criminal operations officer Chief Supt. Robert Hill. “These statistics serve as an important reminder that as Manitobans begin to emerge from the pandemic and potentially return to work in the summer months, so will criminals. We encourage all Manitobans to be aware of this increase and to remain vigilant.”
Rec and community services committee citizen representative Ross Martin asked Hastie May 18 how often Thompson RCMP officers are assaulted in the course of their duties.
“I would say it’s on a daily basis,” Hastie said, with members having been spat upon, kicked and punched within the last few months and one getting bear sprayed and suffering a serious concussion last year.
High-profile incidents involving police in Canada, the United States and around the world can sometimes motivate anti-police behaviour in some people, said the inspector.
“It’s a very challenging profession. It’s not a great time to be a police officer nowadays and it’s very challenging to be facing the brunt of serious social issues around the world, across Canada and and across the province. We have to include the pandemic as well, which is rendering policing even more challenging.”
Referencing recent reports in which police have been alleged to have used excessive force, Martin asked what training officers have to deal with situations when they are assaulted or where use of force is required.
“We have our use of force training that occurs in the RCMP training academy,” Hastie said. “Every three years we’re recertified in our use of force. Use of force requires legal justification and it has to be in line with the Criminal Code of Canada. When force is used against a person, whether it’s lethal force or force resulting in injury, it has to be documented.”
