By rdnewsNOW staff

Red Deer persons and property crimes show significant decreases in 2018

May 11, 2018 | 7:31 AM

RED DEER- Crime statistics for the first quarter of 2018 continue to show encouraging results, with steep decreases in property crime totals and significant decreases in persons crimes when compared to the same time period in 2017.

The downward trend continues from the last quarter of 2017, when property crimes were lower than the same time period the previous two years.

Total Criminal Code files show a significant decrease from the first quarter of 2017.

Property crime numbers for the first quarter show decreases in break and enters: 238 so far in 2018 compared to 358 for the same time period in 2017.

Likewise, theft of motor vehicles in 2018 are at 178, compared to 389 for the same quarter in 2017.

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Fraud, theft under $5,000 and mischief to property also show similar decreases.

Other highlights of the first three months of 2018 include fewer robberies and assaults than the same time period in 2017, but more sexual assaults.

Traffic collisions resulting in injury decreased slightly from last year; however, collisions involving property damage were higher than property damage collision numbers for the first three months of 2014, 2015 and 2016.

“I think it’s safe to say that this steady decrease in property crime numbers for the past six months is an indication of the hard work Red Deer police officers do every day through our Pinpoint crime reduction work, the Priority Crimes Task Force, and through special projects,” said Inspector Gerald Grobmeier of the Red Deer RCMP. “Last month marked the two-year anniversary of Pinpoint – two years of Red Deer officers applying continuous, strategic pressure to crime hot spots and to those repeat offenders who are responsible for most of the property crime in the city. It seems clear these crime reduction strategies are having a positive effect, and we’re not going to let up on that pressure.”

In the first three months of 2018, Red Deer RCMP conducted 683 checks on targeted people, including 27 identified people on parole and/ or probation and 25 more career criminals with an active history of property crime.

RCMP conducted another 2,213 checks in crime hot spots and targeted addresses.

Preliminary analysis for the first quarter of 2018 shows at least 80 charges have been laid specific to targets identified through Pinpoint, and 101 warrants have been executed.

“Community safety and crime reduction remain a priority for our public, and Council commends the strategic work done through Pinpoint in targeting prolific offenders and crime hot spots, which is paying off. Red Deer is leading central Alberta when it comes to decreases in property crime statistics because of this targeted effort,” said Mayor Tara Veer. “City Council continues to actively work with City staff, the RCMP and community agencies to identify community priorities in our local Annual Policing Plan and support local enforcement and crime prevention efforts.”

The RCMP crime statistics compare the time period from January 1 to March 31 over five years, from 2014-2018.

Red Deer crime statistics are released on a quarterly basis.