The decline in calls for service when comparing the third quarter to the fourth quarter of 2023 is to be expected, RCMP Staff-Sgt. Scott Linklater told Dauphin city councillors as he updated them on police activities, last week.
As part of his presentation during council’s regular meeting, Feb. 12, Linklater said total calls for service at the local detachment during the period covering Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023, was 1,261 compared to 1,740 during the previous quarter, a drop of 28 per cent.
“This is typical. In summertime most people are out there moving around and as cooler months start settling in people stay in and are a little bit quieter,” he said. “So this is a normal trend that we see.”
In fact, decreases were seen across all statistical categories, Linklater said. From October to December, there were 96 reports of offenses against people compared to 129 the previous quarter, a drop of 26 per cent. Total property offenses in the fourth quarter came in at 254 compared to 260, a decrease of two per cent while enforcement of provincial statutes for the fourth quarter was 179 compared to 227 from July to September, a drop of 22 per cent. Criminal Code charges classified under the “other” heading totalled 139 in the fourth quarter compared to 177 the previous quarter, a decrease of 21 per cent.
Call to assist the public in other types of files amounted 251, down 14 per cent from the 293 in the previous quarter, while prisoners held during the last quarter totalled 102, down from 136 over the summer.
“Out of RCMP West District, which includes Portage to the Saskatchewan border and from the US border all the way up to and including Swan River, we tend to be one of the busiest detachments in that area,” Linklater told councillors. “Our busiest month was November, where we had 46 total files per member and the average for the whole district was 26. So it’s almost twice as much. Our members do a lot of work and carry a big workload, but they get the job done.”
Traffic enforcement in the area has scaled up, Linklater added, and has resulted in the seizure of more guns and drugs than normal as criminals passing through the area are targetted.
From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2023, police recovered four illegal firearms and seized 432 grams of cocaine, 4-1/2 grams of methamphetamine and 118 grams of Psilocybin (magic mushrooms). Gun seizures included three long guns, two of which were sawed off and one handgun.
“That is all due to the proactive efforts of our members going out there and doing traffic enforcement and actually using the laws available to interdict these things,” Linklater said.
Traffic enforcement in the fourth quarter also saw 340 traffic infractions with 248 tickets issued. Police laid three charges for impaired operation of a vehicle, two charges of refusing to provide a breath sample and six other Criminal Code related traffic offenses. There were 34 collisions during the period, 30 of which were reportable for property damage.
“I think overall we’re doing well,” Linklater said, adding he has recently heard comments that Dauphin is a dangerous city. “I don’t think we are. I don’t think we’re any more dangerous than any other city in Canada. We do have violence like every other community, but most of the violence that we’re dealing with, it’s people that are known to each other. There’s not a lot of just random violence."
Property offenses are a different story, he added, as it seems people are willing to pick up anything that is not nailed down. Phone scams are also on the rise, he said.
“We’ve had several of them over the last few months where I think victims have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s amazing how much people are losing and that’s only what’s been reported. There’s a lot that doesn’t get reported because people are embarrassed,” Linklater said.
When it comes to staffing, the chronic shortages that have plagued the local detachment, along with many detachments across the country, are starting to subside.
In fact, there are four corporals, all active duty, working out the local detachment, one over the normal allotment. And while the detachment is supposed to have 18 constables, there are two soft vacancies with people away on leave and two open positions, which should be filled by early summer.
Finally, with Linklater’s recent promotion, a new sergeant has been identified to replace him and should be in place sometime this coming summer.
“So our staffing situation looks really well. We have a good blend of members who are proactive and out in the community,” Linklater said.
