At last week’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting, the October 2024 Statistical Extract for offences recorded in Moose Jaw was released.
Total crimes against the person continue their downward trend, with a 1.2 per cent decrease year-to-date compared to October 2023.
While overall assaults within that category are down 10.8 per cent, with 305 offences recorded so far this year compared to 342 in 2023, there has been a 27.5 per cent increase in sexual assaults (51 cases in 2024) and a 25 per cent increase in robbery (10 cases in 2024).
Total crimes against property are down significantly compared to 2023, seeing a 24.9 per cent decrease year-to-date compared to October 2023. So far this year, police have recorded 1471 crimes against property.
Within that category, there has been an 18.1 per cent decrease in breaking and entering (176 offences so far this year compared to 215 by October 2023).
Breaking and entering at businesses has seen a 6.1 per cent decrease (46 cases this year compared to 49 by this point in 2023), with a 23.6 per cent decrease in breaking and entering at residences (68 this year compared to 89 by October 2023).
Impaired driving offences are down 10.6 per cent, with 76 offences so far in 2024.
Failure to comply with court orders is up 97.1 per cent, with 743 offences so far in 2024, compared to 377 offences by the end of October 2023.
Calls for service are up 4 per cent compared to 2023, with police logging 17,433 requests by the end of October 2024.
Police Chief Rick Bourassa spoke about the increase in calls for service in light of decreases in recorded offences. “The majority of what we deal with is not crime. The majority of what we deal with is disruption of sorts in the community.”
“If we deal with those disruptions properly, and help people get through those challenging times, we will continue to see the crimes [go] down,” he added.