Crime numbers for the Battlefords RCMP detachment showed improvement - for a change - in November.
For persons, property, Criminal Code, liquor act and provincial traffic offences, numbers were down for the month. Residential break and enters and drug offences both showed increases.
There were 16 residential break and enters in November compared to six the previous November. There were also 19 drug offences compared to two the same month a year ago. There was also an increase in the category of impaired operation driving, which went up to 22 from nine.
But person offences were down to 50 from 60 the previous November, business break enters were down to four from five, property offences were down to 170 from 206, criminal code offences down to 120 from 146, liquor act offences down to nine from 20 and provincial traffic offences down to 117 from 150.
Motor vehicle collisions were down for the month from 39 to 27.
Calls for service in November were down to 987 compared to 1,066 the previous year.
Overall, numbers for the entire year continue to show an increase in calls for service to 13,884 compared to 13,512 for the previous year through November.
The RCMP reports person offences are up 28 per cent, business break and enters up 42 per cent, criminal code offences up three per cent, drug offences up a whopping 49 per cent, liquor act offences up 34 per cent and impaired driving up 18 per cent.
Residential break and enters are down 19 per cent for 2010 so far - following a particularly bad 2009 year in that category - and property offences are down three per cent for the year as well.
Those numbers pleased Councillor Ron Crush, who said he believes a greater visibility by the RCMP might be having an impact on the property and break and enter numbers.
A total of 12 foot patrols were recorded for the month of November as well, bringing the total for the year to 111.
The numbers were presented in a report from Staff Sgt. Phil Wilson to North Battleford's municipal services committee meeting Dec. 20, the final one for the year. Final numbers for all of 2010 are expected at next month's meeting.
As far as activities of interest in November are concerned, one male youth was charged with possession of property obtained by crime and break and enter and theft, following a call of an alarm at a business on 107th Street Nov. 11. Another man was charged with break and enter with intent, mischief under $5,000, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer following a Nov. 13 complaint of an intoxicated man found unlawfully in a house.
Nov. 27 a man was charged with impaired driving following a routine patrol.
