Westside crime has skyrocketed while some other North Okanagan communities have seen a dip in offences.
Vernon North Okanagan RCMP’s second quarter report for 2022 shows a 180 per cent increase in property offences on the Westside, compared to the same quarter in 2021.
Meanwhile Lumby and Spallumcheen saw a decrease in crime numbers and calls for service.
The RCMP report shows criminal code and property offences were up slightly in Vernon: 2.9 per cent between April and June, compared to the same period last year, while property offences have risen 6.6 per cent.
The report also notes that 17 prolific offenders have been identified and are being monitored by RCMP. Of those, 10 are currently in custody and seven are at large. None of the seven live in the Vernon area.
Further statistics show that 158 naloxone kits were handed out between April and June as part of the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP’s Opioid Pilot Project. It was started in 2018 to improve service for people suffering from addiction issues, which often lead to their involvement in criminal behaviour. The project is currently being implemented in Enderby and Armstrong.
Crime numbers were higher in Coldstream for the second quarter of 2022. A nearly 11 per cent jump for criminal code files, and an 8.5 per cent increase in property offences, compared to 2021. The report shows RCMP had more than 5,000 calls for service in Vernon and Coldstream from April to June, and more than 10,000 since Jan. 1.
Traffic enforcement statistics show RCMP took 56 impaired drivers off Vernon North Okanagan roads during the reporting period.
The full report, which is being presented to city council Monday, Aug. 15, is available on the City of Vernon website.
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@GaryBarnes109
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