There was an overall increase of 46% in the number of calls for service that the RCMP received last month, compared with April 2020. In the West District which includes Dauphin and area, there was a 52% increase.
5,101 calls were received last month, compared with 3,355 last April. While this may seem alarming, Tara Seel with the RCMP says it really isn't.
"These numbers weren't unexpected because public health orders were less restrictive last month, compared with one year ago," said Seel. "These numbers are more in line with pre-pandemic statistics."
Common police activities which include well-being checks and missing persons reports decreased 12% with 587 calls received this April, compared with 670 last April.
There was a 1% increase in crimes against the person, which include robbery, extortion, harassment, and threat. When it comes to crime against property, there was an overall decrease of 9% with 487 calls received last month, compared to 538 in April of last year.
With the first day of summer less than a month away, Seel says the RCMP expects crime in certain areas to increase, as it usually does over the summer. One of the areas that always increases over the summer months is crimes against property and robbery.
"If you're walking at night, it's really important to look up, don't put your head down and look at your phone," said Seel. "Another thing is making sure you always lock your vehicle, even in your driveway."
It's also recommended that you keep the trees in front of your home trimmed, so it is noticeable from the street. Fraud occurrences also increased last month, with 56 calls for service compared to 45 in April last year.
"We're monitoring everything and you if you need us, we will be there," ended Seel.
