Prince George RCMP Officer-In-Charge, Superintendent Shaun Wright, and Inspector Darin Rappel presented to Council, providing an overview of police calls for service in 2023 in comparison with the last several years, including downtown statistics, and notable events and trends in 2023. Highlights include a decrease in property crime and a slight increase in persons offences.
The statistics revealed there were 2,673 violent incidents police had to deal with last year, up eight per cent from 2,472 in 2022, while incidents of assault rose to a four-year high (1,449) up 11 per cent from 2022.
Yearly increases were also noted in the number of charges of aggravated assault/assault with a weapon (455) and robbery (149, up 43 per cent from 2022), while there were fewer sexual offences (186) and fewer break-and-enters (615) in 2023 compared to the previous year.
The presentation covered topics looking ahead to 2024, which included a focus on mental health support partnerships, youth crime and gang crime prevention.
Conservation Officer, Seargent Eamon McArthur, also spoke to council on the issue of bears in the community. Seargent McArthur commented on the dramatic increase in calls to conservation officers in 2023. As an example, in August 2022 there were 145 bear reports and in August 2023 he approximates there were over 2,000 calls for service. Attractants such as fruit trees and garbage were the biggest challenges.