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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.