Summertime crime has taken a huge unexplained jump in Innisfail and the surrounding area.
Last July, crime increased dramatically by 77 per cent over the same month in 2012, according to statistics released last week by Innisfail RCMP.
“We had noticed we were much busier this year than the previous year. I have no information on why, but there has definitely been a significant increase in these criminal activities,” said Innisfail RCMP Cpl. Jeff Hildebrandt.
The statistics show that cases of domestic violence jumped 207 per cent in July over a year ago in 2012. RCMP handled 46 files last month compared to 15 a year earlier.
Mounties responded to 46 break and enters last month compared to 23 in July, 2012 – a 100 per cent increase over those recorded a year earlier.
Local RCMP was called to respond to 46 cases of disturbing the peace last month, compared to 29 in July, 2012. That is a 59 per cent increase over a year ago. The Innisfail detachment handled 28 files for fraud last month compared to 18 a year earlier, a jump of more than 55 per cent. And assaults were dramatically higher as well. Last month RCMP responded to 60 cases compared to 42 a year earlier – an increase of 43 per cent.
“Whether it is a blip or not I don't have any comment. I can't speak to that. It is definitely a significant increase from what was going on the previous year. What kind of economic and social factors that are different than last July to this July I wouldn't be able to speak to that,” said Hildebrandt. “It is definitely of concern to us. These are all dramatic increases. It has been a very busy summer.”
Hildebrandt said one reason for the dramatic increase in the number of domestic violence files is the change in “scope” of how RCMP “score” reports, and how they are handled in accordance with division policies.
“Not all of those are domestic assaults. They are just situations of domestic violence. They can include a vast variety of Criminal Code actions, not all of which are assaults,” said Hildebrandt, whose office handled seven cases of serious domestic assaults in just one week at the end of July. “If we have evidence of an assault -- physical observation of injuries, statements or declarations by any of the parties involved -- we must proceed with a charge.
“We don't necessarily have discretion to work around it because we think it might be minor,” he added.
He said the overall 77 per cent jump in all Criminal Code cases has put a strain on detachment resources this summer as up to 25 per cent of the total number of police officers have been assigned to help southern Alberta communities devastated by last June's flood disaster.
“We had a significant reduction in our resources as a result of sending members down to High River,” said Hildebrandt, adding that the assignments to the hard hit southern Alberta communities have just recently concluded. “The work for us has been very difficult. We have been very, very busy this summer.”
