Common assaults, sexual assaults, and intoxication in public were the highlights of the RCMP’s annual report on the District of Port Hardy’s year-end crime statistics for 2017.
“We ended 2017 with 4140 files opened, versus 4042 files opened from the year before,” said RCMP Staff Sgt. Wes Olsen, who added there were 129 total common assaults in 2017, which is down from 149 in 2016. “That isn’t a huge difference, but it’s better to be down than up because that’s a crime of violence against persons.”
Olsen continued, noting there were 16 sexual assaults in 2017, whereas the previous year there were 12, stating, “it’s a little bit higher, but it’s not a significant increase.”
Intoxicated in public was next on the list, with 367 files opened in 2017 (which also saw 77 liquor violation tickets issued), compared to 293 in 2016.
“There’s things we are working on to combat the issue,” Olsen explained. “One of the things I want to do to combat the intoxication in public problem is to get more foot patrols and presence in the areas where we see bigger problems.”
Corp. Chris Voller stated he thinks the issue is getting better, “and I would say some of the successes we have seen has not come through policing,” complimenting VIHA and other organizations for their hard work in providing services to the region.
“The level of criminality may be down a bit, but these people are still here and they’re still present statistically,” he added. “This is a longterm situation we’re dealing with, it’s cultural, and when I say cultural I mean we have generations of people dealing with alcoholism coming from environments we can’t change overnight. I’m optimistic we are moving in the right direction.”
Coun. Pat Corbett-Labbatt, who is on the Mount Waddington Wellness Committee, said she thinks everyone needs to “work together to make it better.”
Olsen confirmed that one of the main areas the RCMP has seen improvement with the issue “is the panhandling — I don’t think we have the degree of aggressive panhandling we’ve had in the past, so if you’re talking positives that’s one for sure.”
Full numbers from the Port Hardy RCMP Detachments 2017 year-end statistics are as follows:
Assaults - 129 (common/trespassing 94, assault with a weapon or CBH 16, aggravated 4, criminal harassment 1, utter threats against person 14);
Sexual assaults - 16 (aggravated sexual assault 12, sexual interference 4);
Intoxicated in public - 367;
liquor violation tickets issued - 77;
Breach of peace - 95;
Secondary involving alcohol - 66;
Cause disturbance - 138;
Mischief under $5,000 - 52;
Mischief over $5,000 - 1;
Loss enjoyment of property - 37;
Bail violations - 47;
Bylaw noise - 21;
False/abandoned 911 calls - 111;
Break and enter business - 8;
Break and enter residence - 27;
Theft from motor vehicle less than $5,000 - 63;
Theft from motor vehicle more than $5,000 - 4;
Shoplifting under $5,000 - 22;
Missing persons - 58;
Missing persons high risk - 65;
Unspecified assistance - 114;
False alarm - 79;
Mental Health Act - 181;
Suicidal - 70;
Cocaine trafficking - 1;
Cocaine possession - 1;
Cannabis possession - 2;
Cannabis trafficking - 0;
Impaired driving charged - 4;
IRP 24 hour - 1;
IRP 3 days - 2;
IRP 7 days - 1;
IRP 90 days - 17;
Violation tickets moving - 122;
Violation tickets non-moving - 19;
Traffic notice written warnings - 16;
Motor Vehicle Incident fatal - 1;
Motor Vehicle Incident Injury - 12;
Motor Vehicle Incident over $1,000 - 35;
Street checks - 232;
Prisoners held - 598;
JJP hearings - 121;
Detentions from JJP hearings - 75.
- with files from Port Hardy RCMP