Last week, Statistics Canada released the police-reported crime statistics and Weyburn, like most of the country, saw an increase in the overall number of crimes reported as well as the crime severity index. The numbers also show that Weyburn has the lowest crime severity index of any community in Saskatchewan with a municipal police force and the third lowest of all cities in Saskatchewan.
The increase in the crime severity index for Weyburn last year was a slight one, explained Police Chief Jamie Blunden, which was mainly driven by non-violent crimes. The violent crime severity index for the city declined.
“The violent crime last year, we were at 76.88,” said Blunden. “We dropped down to 71.07 in 2023, so it tells us we’re doing a good job within the violent crime rankings.”
The non-violent crimes, however, did jump up significantly. The CSI for those crimes, which Blunden attributed to primarily property crimes, went from 79.45 to 88.6. However, the police chief can pinpoint the reason for the increase.
“We had a number of individuals out there in the community that were breaking in, in the springtime, and they were doing a lot of property crimes,” Blunden said. “Our members were aware of who they were, and we were able to catch up to four of five of them. They got locked up, and once they got locked up, we saw the decrease in crime for property throughout the rest of the year.”
One area where there was an increase in the actual number of crimes was impaired driving, with 46 being reported last year, compared to 42 in 2022. While the number went up, Weyburn still had the third-lowest number of impaired driving incidents behind only Warman and Martensville. For Blunden, the numbers aren’t something to panic about, as the messaging about impaired driving still seems to be getting through to the residents of the city.
“Every time we have an event there’s always a shuttle involved or designated drivers,” Blunden noted about the community’s efforts to curb impaired driving. “We always make sure that the people that are out there putting these events are aware of it. They’re very supportive, and finding those safe rides home is an important piece. It’s a collective sort of partnership with the community and SGI, as well as the police service.
Overall, Blunden said the people of Weyburn should be proud of the community, and the numbers that show Weyburn as a safe community.
“We have a very safe, engaged community,” Blunden said. “I think it’s a great place to raise a family, and I think most people that are here would agree with me. Our members are out and about; they’re very engaged with the community.”