Property crime is on the rise in Kelowna: RCMP

On Monday, RCMP Supt. Kara Triance will be delivering her first update of 2022 to city council.

During the first three months of the year, Kelowna RCMP have observed a return to pre-pandemic crime rates for commercial and residential break and enters, shoplifting and auto theft.

When compared to the same time period in 2021, the rates reported this year include:

• 13.2% increase in commercial break and enters

• 15% increase in residential break and enters

• 63.3% increase in shoplifting files

• 47.8% increase in auto theft, typically involving idling and unlocked vehicles

At the beginning of May the provincial government and BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus announced a review and investigation into prolific offenders. Supt. Triance has brought up the issue a number of times in her updates to council.

This year, from January to March, 149 files were attributed to a small number of prolific offenders, “many who require a multi-agency response,” reads the report.

Triance explains that the increase in auto theft and shoplifting are due to prolific offenders with “brazen attitudes.”

Additionally, the RCMP have reported that half of property crime in Kelowna is committed by about 10% of prolific offenders.

The report points to the city’s top three prolific offenders who made up nearly half (45%) of all prolific files reported in the first three months of 2022.

However, Supt. Triance says there was a notable decrease in reported theft from vehicles and bike thefts.

Kelowna RCMP have also noticed a notable decline in drug trafficking offences, something Traince says is a reflection of an “ongoing shift in federal enforcement and prosecution policies.”

During the first three months of 2021, Kelowna RCMP responded to 30 drug trafficking files. This year, they responded to 12 files.

Another decline was noted in the amount of traffic violation tickets issued this spring. Police have issued 316 tickets, compared to 1,052 in the spring of 2021.

Triance says that this was the result of a temporary redeployment of traffic services to frontline positions to address demands of calls for service, workloads and pressures on officers.

The RCMP have noted a continued increase in calls for service, particularly in calls related to the downtown area (64.4% increase) and suspicious fires (65% increase in arson files).

From January to March, Kelowna RCMP received 14,001 total calls for service with 1,965 calls to the downtown area.

During the same time last year, police received 13,501 total calls for service and 1,195 to the downtown area.

Traince claims that the increased downtown calls are related to an increase in the number of people accessing the emergency shelter or sheltering outdoors.

Finally, the report points to a concerning increase (40.9%) in assaults with a weapon.

Despite the increase in property crime, downtown calls for service and ongoing issues with prolific offenders in the city, the RCMP were pleased after reviewing the 2022 Community Safety Survey.

“Generally, the Kelowna RCMP shares the concerns of citizens and remains very committed to reducing property crime,” reads Triance’s report to city council.

Traiance points to a recent announcement from Public Safety Canada that indicates $250 million has been allocated to the Building Safer Communities fund. She notes that the Kelowna RCMP will be working with the city to explore opportunities under this fund in the coming months.

The RCMP’s update for the first quarter of this year will be presented to the city council during the regular meeting scheduled for Monday, May 30.

Thumbnail photo credit: 123rf