Criminal code calls to the RCMP have seen a huge spike in Lumby to start 2023.
According to the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP’s first quarter policing report which was put before Vernon council on Monday, May 8, there was an 87.1 per cent increase in criminal code calls in Lumby from January to March. There were a total of 73 criminal code calls.
Calls for service in Lumby also spiked, up nearly 19 per cent this past quarter for a total of 251 calls. Meanwhile, property offences in Lumby dipped 9.5 per cent.
According to the report, crime in Vernon was on the downswing in the first quarter. Calls for service in Vernon dropped by 3.4 per cent for a total of 4,319. Criminal code offences dropped 4.6 per cent, and property offences dipped 10.4 per cent.
However, rural Vernon saw some dramatic crime spikes in the first quarter. While total calls for service were down 6.1 per cent, criminal code calls were up 22.4 per cent and property offences spiked 47.2 per cent.
Coldstream saw a drastic decline in criminal code calls — a nearly 24 per cent dip for a total of 54 calls. Calls for service and property offences both went down about 2.5 per cent.
Falkland’s crime breakdown for the quarter is a tale of contrasts. While overall calls for service were up 14.2 per cent, property offences decreased a whopping 55.5 per cent. Criminal code calls stayed the same.
The report offers a sampling of the 15 most commonly reported crime codes which have the most impact on communities.
In Vernon, theft from vehicles were down 57 per cent from 136 cases in the first quarter of 2022 to 59 in the first quarter this year. However, theft under $5,000 was up 20 per cent. Residential break-and-enters were also down 63 per cent for a total of 13 this past quarter.
In rural Vernon, motor vehicle accidents were up 112.5 per cent for a total of 17 this past quarter.
The Vernon North Okanagan Integrated Forensic Identification Section provided investigative assistance for 31 files, identified 14 fingerprints and supplied one preliminary association. It also collected 33 friction ridge impressions, 54 DNA swabs, two tool markings and gathered two other types of physical evidence.
The report also details specific tasks that officers attended to over the quarter.
In Armstrong on Jan. 5, officers attended to a report of multiple assaults by a youth at a local school. While placing the youth under arrest, police were also assaulted. The matter is before the courts.
In Enderby on Feb. 1, officers executed a search warrant at a residence in the 2700 block of Canyon Road. Police seized cocaine, methamphetamine and a large quantity of dilaudid pills. A 41-year-old man was charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Also in Enderby, on Feb. 13, police responded to a disturbance and assault at a residence in the 6300 block of Highway 97A, and learned the suspect had fled on foot. The suspect was located a short distance away in possession of a disassembled shotgun and ammunition. A 56-year-old man was charged with numerous offences and the matter is before the courts.
In Lumby on Feb. 11, police activated Vernon Search and Rescue to a remote area near Sugar Lake to rescue an injured snowmobiler. A helicopter was used to extract the injured patient.
In Vernon’s Polson Park on Jan. 9, a 27-year-old man was arrested after he was reported to be in possession of a weapon. A search after his arrest found a sawed-off shotgun, bullets, a knife, a crowbar and various tools. The matter is before the courts.
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