There has been a slight increase for calls of service in the Town of La Ronge. (File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Cornet

new report

Calls for service remain steady in La Ronge RCMP policing area

Nov 10, 2023 | 2:40 PM

A quarterly RCMP report submitted to La Ronge council shows crime in the local detachment’s policing area is on par with this time last year.

Data in the report revealed that between April 1 to Sept. 30 in 2022 and 2023, there was one fewer call for service. There were 10,056 calls for service during that time period in 2022 and 10,055 calls in 2023.

The report showed an increase in residential break-and-enter from 59 in 2022 to 80 in 2023. There was also an increase in Criminal Code offences (causing a disturbance, breach of peace, indecent acts and failure to comply) with that going from 731 to 1,135, as well as provincial traffic offences that went from 938 to 1,210.

Noticeable decreases in the data are property offences (theft, mischief, fraud, possession of stolen goods) went from 1,946 to 1,638, while motor vehicle impairment dropped from 219 to 164. There was also a fall in liquor-related offences from 619 to 405, as well as calls to assist the general public went from 236 to 14.

Specifically for the Town of La Ronge, there was a slight increase of calls during the April 1 to Sept. 30 time period with 4,141 in 2022 and 4,305 in 2023. That’s mostly been driven by a large increase in Criminal Code and provincial traffic offences. In relation to liquor-related offences, there was a drop from 440 to 300.

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“Drugs and alcohol continue to be a concern for the La Ronge detachment with calls for service regularly seeing liquor-related offences or where alcohol is also a primary contributing factor in the Criminal Code offences that members deal with,” Staff Sgt. Dean Bridle wrote in the report.

“Public intoxication in La Ronge continues to be a visible problem that generates regular calls for service to deal with individuals in public spaces and in the downtown area. If warranted, an individual can be incarcerated until sober, however, this doesn’t address this longstanding issue.”

La Ronge RCMP priorities for the 2023/2024 fiscal year are drugs and alcohol, property crimes, traffic, and community engagement and visibility. While the detachment’s General Investigation Unit has been involved in several more serious investigations in the last six months, six search warrants were executed resulting in a significant amount of drugs, guns, cash and trafficking paraphernalia being seized.

In the last three months, officers conducted 198 curfew checks and laid 57 fail-to-comply charges for those who have failed to abide by their conditions.

Police also continue to attend community events to increase the detachment’s visibility. Events attended by officers include Canada Day, National Indigenous Peoples Day, the Elks Fair and local barbecues. They have also begun to engage in nightly foot patrols of the La Ronge Health Centre.

The RCMP are also in the process of finalizing efforts of moving the Stanley Mission detachment to a standalone detachment. Although it will serve as a three-year pilot project, it is meant to properly staff that detachment, as well as reduce the number of times officers from La Ronge need to supplement Stanley Mission.

Read more of the RCMP quarterly report online.

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com