There was a significant increase, 33 per cent, in social disorder calls in Kelowna’s downtown between 2019 and 2021.
Calls totalled 3,052 last year, compared to 2,344 in 2020 and 2,297 in 2019. The information is contained in the 2021 public safety and crime update being submitted to city council today (Feb. 28).
Total persons offences increased by 38 per cent from 2019 to 2021. Common assaults, domestic violence, assaults with a weapon, and files related to uttering threats increased each by more than 25 per cent.
The stats also noted an alarming increase in fatal and non-fatal drug overdose files. A total of 141 files were dealt with by officers last year, compared to 133 in 2020 and 64 in 2019. Drug offences (trafficking) were down 53.8 per cent from 2019 to 2021. Sexual assault cases totalled 159 in 2021, 147 in 2020, and 129 in 2019. There were 3,104 calls for services with a mental health component last year, compared to 2,899 in 2020 and 3,011 in 2019. Mental health apprehensions were 599 in 2021, 649 in 2020, and 701 in 2019.
Commercial and residential break-and-enters, as well as stolen vehicles, increased from 2020 but have not reached pre-pandemic levels. Theft from motor vehicles and bike theft trended downwards in the last quarter of 2021. There were increases in shoplifting and other property-related thefts, such as theft of mail and theft of tools from construction sites.
Officers responded to 63,888 calls for service in 2021. Calls for service for the same period in 2020 were 58,972 and 60,6274 in 2019.
The report, submitted by Kelowna RCMP Detachment Superintendent Kara Triance, stated the city’s property crime trends in the fourth quarter of 2021 are consistent with those seen throughout the RCMP’s South East District. Kelowna experienced a year-over-year increase of 14.6 percent in Q4 2021 compared to the District’s increase of 15.8 percent for the same time period.
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@GaryBarnes109
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