Kelowna Police Chief Kara Triance presented a report to the city council on Monday setting out crime trends and public safety for 2020.
She said there was a 16% decrease in property crime as of 2019.
“We are actively monitoring 11 persistent criminals. 45 people were arrested and charged in 2020, six of whom were productive offenders. So criminals who have committed a lot of crime and are people who cause most of the crime associated with a particular rampage. So we could see 20 stolen vehicles, large machines, and other stolen property hanging on a person. “
Bicycle theft, auto theft, and auto theft all fell between 20 and 25%.
Kelowna was one of the few communities that did not report an increase in breaks and entered businesses.
They fell by 26.3%.
While 87% of residents said they felt safe in the past year, personal attacks increased.
According to the report, it was mainly threats and harassment.
Triance said if it comes to COVID-19-related harassment, you can call 911.
“Whenever a crime is ongoing or someone is in danger whose life or limbs are at risk, we want the public to call 911. And in a case where lives are at risk, where individuals may not wear a mask or breach some type of injury, given that we are currently battling a global pandemic, it is time to call the police. “
Kelowna saw an increase in domestic violence and serious assault, but Triance said it was a common factor seen in most large British Columbia communities.
“So we believe, and it would be too early to say at this point, that this is a COVID-related challenge, but at this point we can extrapolate that we are seeing some pandemic-related factors and we will monitor this very closely exactly in 2021. Trying to see if this is consistent compared to a change in perceptions of crime in this community. “
10% of service calls came from downtown and the police responded faster.
Although the number of emergency calls has decreased, the number of non-fatal overdoses in the city doubled from 2019.
When it comes to dealing with overdose issues, Triance claims to focus on human trafficking and importation.
“When we are dealing with those who bring drugs into the community and are benefiting from an economic perspective through criminal activities such as selling drugs, we will always take an enforcement approach whenever possible and keep them at the highest level. ”
Triance said decriminalization is something she stands up for when it comes to mental health and substance abuse, but the response to drugs lies with Health Canada and Interior Health.
The Council will discuss the RCMP Strategic Plan 2021-2024 in the coming months.
