Penticton crime stats continue to climb

PENTICTON – Crime isn’t taking a holiday in Penticton, at least not in this year’s second quarter.

Penticton RCMP responded to 4,885 calls for service from April to June of 2015, up from 4,188 calls received during the same period last year, a 17 per cent increase. There was a 26 per cent increase in criminal code offences this quarter, compared to the same quarter a year ago, according to a report to city council by Supt. Kevin Hewco.

Of particular note, theft from vehicle crimes are up 141 per cent over last year, arson is up 220 per cent over last year and 242 hour suspensions are up 400 per cent over 2014. Fraud offences are down 100 per cent, as are drug trafficking offences, down 73 per cent, the Hewco says.

The Penticton detachment issued 324 charges related to the Provincial Motor Vehicle Act, in addition to 103 written warnings and 45 injury accidents.

Forty-two 90 day Immediate Roadside Suspensions were handed out as were three, 24 hour suspensions for drug impairment and nine, 24 hour suspensions for alcohol. Two – seven day Immediate Roadside Suspensions and three refusals to provide a breath sample notices were also handed out, the report says.

Hewco says Penticton RCMP were involved in two incidents which could have escalated into high speed chases, but did not. One involved an impaired driver who rammed a police car and attempted to initiate a high speed chase. He says his members practiced restraint, eventually apprehending the driver without injury. In the second case, two prolific offenders stole two pickup trucks and fled from police, only to be arrested later in an area safe from threat to the public.

The detachment’s Prolific Offender Program suffered from a lack of resources due to the additional labour necessary to deal with two homicide investigations taking place in Penticton this quarter, Hewco says.

According to the report, the detachment also housed 383 prisoners during the second quarter, an increase of 72 over the same period last year.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.