Council for the Rural Municipality of Hanover has established its RCMP priorities for this year.
Each year, the municipality comes up with a list of what it would like to see police focus on. The municipality is policed by both Steinbach RCMP and St. Pierre RCMP.
Reeve Jim Funk says the list is the same for both detachments. The three priorities for this year are to be present in the municipality, road safety and a focus on crime. Funk says this list has not changed from last year.
Meanwhile, Council met with both detachments earlier this month. Steinbach RCMP Acting Staff Sergeant Joanne Ryll presented the first quarter stats. The total number of offences in Hanover was 224 this year, compared to 215 a year ago. The biggest increase over the first quarter of 2024 was in the number of provincial statutes and the number of other criminal code offences; each had 12 more.
Provincial statutes include the Liquor Act, Off-Road Vehicle Act, Coroner's Act, 911 Act, Family Relations Act, Fire Prevention Act, Mental Health Act, Trespass Act, Wildlife Act, Child Welfare Act, permit issues, municipal bylaws, and other provincial/ territorial statutes. Meanwhile, other criminal code offences include disturbing/breaching the peace, harassing phone calls, intimidation, indecent act, disobeying order of court, and failing to comply with a probation order.
The biggest decrease over the first quarter of 2024 was in the number of provincial traffic offences (14) and assaults (7).
Meanwhile, St. Pierre RCMP Staff Sergeant Ron Poirier also reported first quarter stats for his detachment. One of the biggest increases year over year happened in Grunthal, where the number of provincial statutes jumped from 10 last year to 31 this year. The biggest decrease in the municipality was in the number of provincial traffic offences where there were 70 in the first quarter last year compared to 32 this year.
Reeve Funk says in hearing from both staff sergeants, one of the things that jumped out at him is that theft appears to be on the decline in some of their communities. Having said that, he notes it could be that thieves are still active but have moved on to other communities.