There was not much change to report in the RCMP Battlefords City Detachment's October 2011 crime report.
There difference between October numbers compared to the same month in 2010 was insignifcant, with person offences, break and enters, criminal code, property and drug offences all in the same ballpark.
In the statistical report compiled by Staff Sgt. Phil Wilson of the Battlefords RCMP, there were 94 person offences reported last month (up three from October 2010), 227 property offences (down 33), 183 Criminal code offences (down three), 22 drug offences (up five) and 10 residential break and enters (up two). Business break and enters were unchanged at five.
Impaired operation of a motor vehicle charges were also down to 34, compared to 45 the previous October.
The main changes were seen in liquor acts, up to 51 from 27, and provincial traffic offences, up to 277 from 159. Motor vehicle collisions were up to 65 from 23 the previous October.
Overall, there were 1,263 calls for service in October, compared to 1,338 the previous October 2010.
As for the year to date, person offences are down 15 per cent, business break and enters down 12.5 per cent, residential break and enters down 41 per cent, and property offences down 10 per cent. Criminal code offences are up 12 per cent and drug offences up 42 per cent. Provincial traffic offences are up nine per cent and impaired operation of a motor vehicle is up 18 per cent.
A total of 43 foot patrols were logged during October.
North Battleford city councillors expressed approval that the RCMP were able to make a number of high-profile arrests in the past month. Councillor Grace Lang noted recent drug bust arrests during November that were reported in the news.
Wilson noted the drug busts were more a combined "team" effort involving several departments of the RCMP, including the general investigation section.
Councillor Ron Crush said there was a general sense, from listening to the news, that "we're on top of it on the enforcement side."
He pointed to the news stories of recent arrests, including three youths facing 61 charges in connection to a number of thefts of vehicles discovered south of the city, as implying "an environment where crime doesn't work here, you're going to get caught."
