Members of the Estevan Police Service had an increase in activity levels in March, but overall numbers for the year are still down.
According to information provided at the April 19 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, the EPS handled 758 calls for service and infractions in March, up from 709 calls in March 2020.
For the first three months of the year, the EPS had 2,024 calls for service, down eight per cent from the 2,191 they had through the first three months of 2020.
The EPS handled 10 crimes against the person last month, with seven assaults and three sex crimes. There were 16 such crimes in March 2020.
In the first three months of this year, there were 16 crimes against people, with 13 assaults and three sex crimes.
There were 23 crimes against property in March, with nine thefts under $5,000, eight mischief or willful damage incidents, two residential break and enters, two thefts of a motor vehicle, one theft of other motor vehicle and one theft over $5,000.
There were 33 such crimes in March 2020.
So far this year, there have been 50 crimes against property, with 23 mischief or willful damage incidents, 16 thefts under $5,000, six residential break and enters, two thefts of a motor vehicle, two thefts of other motor vehicles and one theft over $5,000.
Acting Chief Warren Morrical, who was at his first meeting since becoming deputy chief, said the decrease in the number of crimes against the person can be attributed to COVID-19 restrictions, because fewer people are in places like bars and restaurants where they would be consuming alcohol.
As for crimes against property, he believes restrictions also play a role in those reductions.
The theft over $5,000 relates to digital currency.
Seven charges under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) were laid in March, with one for trafficking and six for possession.
There were 11 such charges the previous year.
So far this year, there have been 14 CDSA charges, with 11 for possession, two for trafficking and one for production.
There was one charge under the Cannabis Act in March, the first of the year. There were no such charges in the first three months of 2020.
Eleven charges were issued for Criminal Code traffic violations: 10 for impaired/exceed-related offences and one for impairment by drug. There were 11 Criminal Code traffic violations in March 2020 as well.
In the first three months of this year, there have been 21 Criminal Code traffic violations – 14 for impaired/exceed related offences, four for impairment by drug and three for dangerous driving and other.
“We do have a lower – but still too high in my estimation – number for impaired driving. We continue to see impaired driving by alcohol as well as impaired driving by drug offences.”
The EPS has had a number of individual involved in flights from police and similar incidents in which motorists were driving at a high rate of speed, Morrical said. The officers have abandoned those pursuits, rather than putting people at risk.
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The report for Special Constable Morgan Prentice, who is the city’s bylaw enforcement officer, shows that she had 166 occurrences for March. Included in that total were 67 unkempt property inspections, 47 parking violations, 19 animal calls and 11 calls classified as “other bylaw.”
Morrical noted that there has been a spike in the number of animal calls because people are at home and seeing animals at large in and around their neighbourhood.
The taxi bylaw has also seen an increase, because most businesses have been getting their licences updated now rather than later in the year.
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During the inquiries portion of the meeting, Councillor Lindsay Clark asked for an update on the police station expansion. Morrical replied there is some minor work remaining on the parking lot at the north side of the property, and some additional things that need be addressed with the neighbour to east to ensure they are happy with their property. But the majority of the work is complete.
