ESTEVAN - The monthly police numbers, released at the June 11 meeting of the Estevan board of police commissioners, show the EPS had 649 calls for service in May, compared with 800 for the same month a year earlier.
The EPS handled 13 crimes against the person last month, including nine assaults, two assaults causing bodily harm, one sexual crime and one robbery. There were 11 crimes against the person in May 2023.
In the first five months of the year, there have been 68 crimes against the person, led by 51 assaults. There were also 10 sexual crimes, three incidents each for robberies and assaults causing bodily harm, and one attempted murder.
Last year 41 of the 65 crimes against the person in the first five months of the year were for assaults.
Crimes against property also continue to be on the rise, with 46 last month, compared with 44 in May 2023, and 191 for the first five months of the year, a 49 per cent increase from the 128 recorded from Jan. 1-May 31, 2023.
In May, there were 27 thefts under $5,000, up from 15 a year earlier. Mischief/wilful damage complaints were at 13, followed by four thefts of a motor vehicle and two residential break and enters.
So far this year, there have been 103 thefts under $5,000, a 91 per cent increase from 54 for the previous year. There have also been 55 mischief/wilful damage complaints, 18 thefts of a motor vehicle, nine residential break and enters, three business break and enters, one break and enter listed as other, and two thefts over $5,000.
There were no charges laid under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) last month, compared to one in May 2023. In the first five months of the year, there have been 15 charges, with nine for trafficking and six for possession, compared to 22 through May 31, 2023.
Ten charges were laid for Criminal Code Traffic Violations, with nine for impaired/exceed-related offences and one for dangerous driving or other. There were eight such violations last year.
Through May 31, there were 49 charges for Criminal Code traffic violations, with 33 for impaired or exceed-related offences, 11 for impairment by drug and five for dangerous driving or other. Fifty-six charges were laid in the first five months of 2023.
In the first five months of the year, the EPS responded to 2,842 calls and infractions, down 3,163 for the same period last year, which is a 10.1 per cent drop.
The number of calls is also down 9.4 per cent from the five-year average of 3,137.
