DIDSBURY – Didsbury RCMP officers have responded to 70 Mental Health Act calls so far in 2020, with many of those calls related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Didsbury town council was told Oct. 13.
Staff Sgt. Chad Fournier, detachment commander at the Didsbury detachment, presented statistics for the town to council during the recent regularly scheduled council meeting.
Most of the mental health calls came between April and June, many for people struggling with the fallout of the pandemic, he said.
“Tragically the suicides went up during that time and the mental health calls also went up,” said Fournier.
There were 54 Mental Health Act calls during the same period in 2019, 52 in 2018, and 35 in 2017.
A total of 62 persons crime calls were received in the first three quarters of 2020, which compares with 63 calls in the same period in 2019, 93 calls in 2018, and 71 calls in 2017.
Officers have responded to 26 assault calls, with nine charges laid, he said. That compares with 31 calls in 2019, 28 in 2018 and 29 in 2017.
There have been 13 calls regarding criminal harassment, compared with 19 last year, and there have been 17 uttering threats calls, compared with 12 in 2019.
There have been no calls for robberies or homicides in Didsbury so far in 2020.
Regarding property crimes, there have been 215 calls for service, compared with 266 in same period in 2019, 200 in 2018 and 436 in 217.
There have been 28 break and enter calls (20 last year), 23 calls regarding theft of motor vehicle (30 last year), four theft over $5,000 (one last year), 62 theft under $5,000 (66 last year), 12 calls for possession of stolen goods (10 last year), and 60 mischief to property calls (87 last year).
There have been 27 calls regarding motor vehicle collisions, down from 39 last year, 58 in 2018 and 44 in 2017.
Police have conducted many patrols in the detachment area since the pandemic began in an attempt to protect businesses unoccupied when owners self-isolated, he said.
None of the detachment’s officers or staff has tested positive for COVID, he said.
Mayor Rhonda Hunter thanked the local RCMP officers and staff for their efforts during the pandemic.
Fournier’s report was accepted for information.
