Fort St. John saw an increase in arson, break-ins to city businesses, spousal assault, cocaine and fentanyl trafficking, and fatal car accidents in 2022.
RCMP responded to just over 11,000 calls for service last year, with 37% of them for Criminal Code offences, according to the latest annual report from the Fort St. John RCMP.
Detachment commander Insp. Anthony Hanson will give city council an update Tuesday, April 11, on policing activity in the city last year. Here are the numbers from his report:
Calls for service:
(2021 total)
- Municipal - 8,507 (8,688)
- Rural - 2,560 (2,984)
- Total - 11,067 (11,672)
Criminal Code calls:
(2021 total)
- Municipal - 3,429 (3,117)
- Rural - 672 (756)
- Total - 4,101 (3,873)
Criminal Code offences:
(2021 total)
- Persons - 1,201 (1,146)
- Property - 1,987 (1,852)
- Other - 913 (875)
Violent crimes:
(2021 total)
- Robbery City - 9 (11)
- Robbery Rural - 1 (2)
- Assault PO City - 15 (12)
- Assault PO Rural - 1 (2)
- Sex offences City - 75 (86)
- Sex offences Rural - 16 (15)
- Aggravated assault City - 105 (80)
- Aggravated assault Rural - 25 (24)
- Utter threats City - 218 (185)
- Utter threats Rural - 51 (61)
- Common assault City - 327 (295)
- Common assault Rural - 55 (79)
Violence in relationships:
(2021 total)
- Spousal dispute, no assault: 233 (225)
- Spousal abuse: 19 (18)
- Spousal assault: 161 (138)
- Spousal, other offence: 106 (112)
Mental Health Act Related:
(2021 total)
- Municipal - 242 (282)
- Rural - 55 (67)
- Total - 297 (349)
Property crimes:
(2021 total)
- Arson City - 26 (4)
- Arson Rural - 11 (3)
- Break and enter business City - 60 (53)
- Break and enter business Rural - 40 (50)
- Break and enter residence City - 62 (72)
- Break and enter residence Rural - 15 (24)
Theft and mischief:
(2021 total)
- Vehicle thefts - 176 (160)
- Theft from vehicles - 230 (115)
- Theft over $5000 City - 15 (19)
- Theft over $5000 Rural - 28 (28)
- Theft under $5000 City - 239 (207)
- Theft under $5000 Rural - 35 (49)
- Shoplifting - 127 (102)
- Mischief - 335 (312)
- Public disturbances - 785 (856)
Drugs:
(2021 total)
- Cocaine trafficking - 51 (42)
- Cocaine possession - 24 (37)
- Fentanyl/other trafficking - 13 (9)
- Fentanyl/other possession - 336 (35)
- Drug overdose calls - 27 (19)
- Fatal overdose - 16 (14)
Impaired drivers:
(2021 total)
- Criminal Code & Immediate Roadside Prohibitions - 196 (283)
- MVA 24 hrs/7 day/30 day warning - 76 (94)
- By drug - 80 (68)
Motor vehicle accidents:
(2021 total)
- Fatal - 6 (3)
- Injured - 112 (98)
- Damage only - 522 (563)
Bylaw calls:
(2021 total)
- Noise bylaw - 137 (212)
- False alarms - 529 (527)
- Other bylaw - 105 (98)
The Fort St. John RCMP detachment covers an area that extends north to the Sikkani Chief Bridge, west to Williston Lake, east to the Alberta border, and just south of the Peace River.
The majority of officers, 38 of them, are tasked with municipal policing. The detachment also has 12 provincial officers, three First Nations officers, and one reserve and one auxiliary constable. As of this month, the report notes there have been six staff transfers and two new recruits coming on board.
Read the report in full below:
2022 Fort St. John RCMP Annual Report by AlaskaHighwayNews on Scribd
