The Kenora OPP presented their summer report at the Police Services Board Meeting last month and it showed a slight increase in calls for service and crime.
The report was for crime and calls for service data from the summer months of June, July, and August, and are compared to the same months of last year.
In June officers attended 1504 calls for service, in July they rose by 149 to 1653, and finally rose again in August by 90 calls to 1743.
When asked about the increase in calls for service Kenora OPP Detachment Commander, Inspector Jeff Duggan says it’s due to more people adventuring outside.
“We’re in the fourth wave but we’re coming out and people are actually getting out in the nice weather and spending more time in the great areas that Kenora has to offer. With more people being around of course there’s an increase in calls for service.”
Duggan noted that bear calls for service contributed to the increase due to the forest fires pushing bears out of the forest and into the city.
The other hot topic at the PSB Meeting was the slight uptick in Property, Violent, and Drug crime.
Since June of 2020 Property Crime has increased by 6.2 per cent with Violent, and Drug crimes slightly decreasing.
In July of this year, the OPP saw an increase of 25 per cent in Drug Crime and a 1.1 per cent year-to-date increase in Property Crime.
August saw a drastic spike in all three crime categories with a 29.3 per cent spike in Violent Crime, a 34.2 per cent increase in Property Crime, 25 per cent more Drug Crimes than last August.
Duggan said the OPP is going to analyze those numbers this winter to curb the increase.
“There are a number of different factors and of course the substance abuse, the mental health, the addictions issues they all play into that. We’ll have a good look at that and if we need to adjust what we’re doing, we’ll certainly do that and we can do that,” concluded Duggan.
The estimated cost for the Annual Policing Budget is $6,471,490.00, which is slightly above last year’s estimated policing cost of $6,076,558.00.