Bad guys seem to take time off in Lake Country

LAKE COUNTRY – RCMP in Lake Country are reporting a year-over-year drop of 40 per cent in total criminal code offences in the last quarter of 2014 as compared to 2013. This includes a 53 per cent drop in property crimes during the same period.

Crimes against people in the bedroom community of 12,000, such as assaults and uttering threats, are down 35 per cent while drug offences are down by 12.5 per cent. Not a single bike was reported stolen in the last quarter of 2014.

Here's how the crime statistics from the RCMP's quarterly report break down when measured in actual cases; persons offences went from 37 to 24 and drug offenses went down from 8 to 7. Total criminal code violations went from 158 to 95 and total calls for service were down 11.2 per cent to 658 from 741. There were no bikes stolen in the last three months of 2013.

The crime numbers were submitted to district council on Tuesday, May 19. Previous quarter’s statistics were not immediately available.

Domestic violence reports came in lower with 24 reports of family violence and 10 reports of spousal assault. In 2013, there were 27 family violence cases and 10 spousal assault cases during the same quarter.

RCMP responded to 37 car crashes, of which eight involved injury and three involved alcohol. They issued 12, 90-day roadside suspensions, gave out three short suspensions and four 24 hour driving prohibitions. Only one excessive speeder got nabbed during the last quarter.

Lake Country Mayor James Baker could not be immediately reached for comment.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.