Regina sees a rise in crime this month, compared to April 2022

The Regina Police Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, with monthly crime statistics per district being at the forefront.

According to police, crime rates are on the rise in Regina from April of last year, which can be seen across the city.

Though the central district has significantly less people than the north and south areas, they all averaged around the same number of reports.

“There’s a magnification of some of the social issues our city faces in the central division and we know there is a direct correlation between social issues like mental health, addictions, those types of things, and police calls for service,” said Regina Police Chief Evan Bray.

“So knowing that that’s concentrated in the central part of the city in the central district really equates to why we experience so much in that regard in that area.”

These numbers are based upon the calls Regina Police Service (RPS) receive in regards to incidents in any given area, ranging from every area of crime.

The north, south, and central districts all reported a rise in crimes against the person by 15.9 per cent in April 2023 vs April 2022.

In addition, crimes against property were up 12.4 per cent with both resulting in a combined year-to-date increase of 13.1 per cent versus 2022.

There were 395 more reports of property crime than in 2022; 224 more reports of theft under $5,000 and 213 more reports of mischief and wilful damage, which saw a 42.7 per cent increase from last year.

Luckily, there was a decrease in auto thefts, which was down 6.3 per cent.

However, as the weather gets warmer, police warn residents to take extra precautions, like ensuring garages are closed, or looking out for neighbours houses when they are away.

Bray said that the implementation of the aerial support unit is significant in the success of the RPS.

“The plane has been an outstanding addition to our police service; it’s really given us an efficiency on how we're able to handle in progress crimes.”

He added that in progress calls have seen 100 per cent success in arrests when the plane is in the air because the ground units can back off while the plane is still tracking the person.

“It’s been very successful but it’s also saved our ground units hours and hours of investigative follow up that normally we would have to do, but don’t because the plane is able to identify the person and we’re able to make an arrest that same day, usually within minutes of the incident happening.”

According to the data, since Jan. 1 2023, the unit has recovered 16 stolen vehicles, made 121 arrests, and laid 262 charges.

It has also saved 56 trips for the ground unit.

As for traffic ticketing, specifically distracted driving, the addition of the motorcycles has given RPS a significant increase. Bray attributes that to the ability for motorcycles to weave in and out of traffic in order to catch up with perpetrators as well as them being less discernible.

“They have a good vantage point to see in the windows of vehicles […] and I think people don’t see motorcycles in a rear-view mirror and think of them as being police.”

“When people see a police car, I guarantee when you see a police car, you put your phone down.”

So far this year, there have been 5,088 tickets issued, 462 of those cell phone charges and warnings.

In 2022, there were less than half of those to date.