Service calls to the Comox Valley RCMP were up 12 per cent this year compared to last, according to the detachment’s end-of-year report.
The report claims there were 19,206 total calls for service to the Valley RCMP from April 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018. That compares to 17,120 calls for service in the same time span the previous year.
Staff Sgt. Eric Rochette says the Valley’s population increase is the main reason for the increased number of calls.
“Twelve per cent is maybe a little more than would be expected, but it’s been an increasing population,” he said. “More people in the Valley means more calls for service.”
The report also shows the number of service calls in 13 crime categories, including assault, harassment, robbery, uttering threats, auto theft, bike theft, break and entering a business, residence, and other kinds of building, as well as fraud, shoplifting, theft under, and theft from a vehicle.
The RCMP noted moderate increases in all but three of the 13 categories in the last year — breaking and entering a residence, theft under, and shoplifting.
In the categories related to violent crimes, the RCMP received 325 calls for assault compared to 305 the year before, 165 calls for harassment compared to 151 the year before, 20 robberies compared to 15 the year before, and 192 uttered threats compared to 160 the year before.
According to Rochette, domestic violence accounts for most of the service calls related to assault and harassment.
“If you look at the numbers, yes there’s been an increase, but at the same time it could mean people are more willing to report domestic issues,” he said.
Regarding property-related crimes, the report noted 146 service calls related to auto theft, 188 for bike theft, 225 for fraud, and 273 reports of breaking and entering.
Request for staffing increase still in limbo
Last February, Comox Valley RCMP Insp. Tim Walton presented a request for a staffing resource increase to Courtenay city council. Walton cited Courtenay’s growing crime, population, and other factors as the need for four more police officers and one support staff member.
He told council on Feb. 19 that Courtenay’s constables have the fifth highest workload per RCMP member for municipalities of its size in B.C., and presented a table that showed calls for service in Courtenay had increased 35 per cent per year since 2007.
Read More: Comox Valley RCMP inspector calls for staffing increase for Courtenay
Rochette said that request for four extra constables is still in limbo.
“My understanding, I don’t think it’s been denied but it hasn’t been approved, either,” said Rochette. “We’re waiting for a written decision from the City of Courtenay council.
Rochette said this year’s report helps justify the need for more constables.
“We look at numbers, the increasing population, the type of crimes we’re dealing with and the time it takes to investigate and complete a proper investigation,” he said. “It used to take two hours five years ago. Not it takes six, seven, eight hours.”
The report is being presented to the Valley’s municipal governments, with statistics related to each jurisdiction.