You’re not imagining it: property crime is on the rise in Grand Forks, according to recent statistics from Grand Forks RCMP.
Sgt. Jim Fenske of the Grand Forks RCMP sat down with the Gazette last week to discuss property crime, changing in criminal behavior in Grand Forks this year, and what the RCMP and the community can do to combat it.
By the numbers
Property crime is up 21. 75 per cent to date over 2016, Fenske said, with overall call volume rising 19 per cent. Bike theft, specifically, is up 33 per cent.
Property crime would include thefts from vehicles and sheds, break and entering, and shoplifting.
Likewise, break and enters to homes in Grand Forks are up 61 per cent over 2016, to 34 in 2017 from 21 in 2016. However, Fenske notes the majority of that increase can be attributed to one person, who is now in jail.
Meanwhile, other areas of crime are seeing far smaller increases. For example, violent crime is a forecasted four per cent increase – a total of four calls difference over last year, rising to 127 calls from 123.
Lest you think its all bad news, Fenske also shared that incidences of break-and-enter are down 40 per cent in Christina Lake, indicating that residents took last year’s messaging about having neighbours check on property to heart.
Fenske cautioned against relying on statistics alone – in a community so small, a relatively small increase in calls can look like a huge percentage increase.
Fenske said these trends in our crime are on par with other, similar-sized detachments in the area. For instance, Grand Forks is almost exactly shadowing crime trends in Castlegar. While there is no indication as to why crime might be up across the board this year, Fenske said it is often cyclical and varies from year to year.
These numbers represent the entire Boundary District area, which includes the Grand Forks and Midway detachments and runs from Christina Lake up to Bridesville and Beaverdell.
Why is it happening?
Crime can be attributed in large part to two issues in Grand Forks, Fenske said: travelling, career criminals on the Highway 3 corridor, and drug use and abuse.
On the issue of travelling crime, Fenske said that can be expected with living on Highway 3. Large parts of the summer’s crime can be explained by a series of criminals that passed through, went on sprees, and quickly moved on.
“We have a major corridor, bringing travelling criminals and drugs, that is a route. Calgary on one end and Vancouver on the other. Drugs and travelling criminals, you bet,” he said. Two batches of those criminals came through this year, he said.
Other aspects of crime can be explained by drug addiction, he said. Much of the petty theft (things like garden gnomes and water skiis, which fetch nothing when sold) are often, he theorized, stolen when high on methamphetamines.
Bikes, power tools, chainsaws and hand tools are commonly stolen to be fenced for drugs, as they are easily sold.
Fenske also estimated that based on his reading of the files, as many as 15 to 25 per cent of files in Grand Forks have a mental health component. While that seems high, he said he figures that is on par with other detachments and many of those mental health issues are caused by the methamphetamine influx of the mid-2000s. Those drugs continue to have an impact today, but there is relatively little police can do if the person is not a danger to themselves or others, he said.
Chris Huston, the administrator for Mental Health and Substance Use program with Interior Health, said that while the area has not necessarily seen an increase in mental health issues over the last year, the use of services jumps every fall when the weather gets colder. Over the past month, access to services has jumped 30 per cent in our area, typical for this time of year when cold weather puts stress on people living outdoors and they begin to seek help.
Huston also cautioned against attributing all crime to people with mental health and substance issues, but notes that “in desperation, people have resorted to crime.” Those who seek treatment are, on average, less likely to resort to criminal behavior, he said.
State of Emergency
Issues surrounding crime exploded over the summer, with heightened community awareness, especially on Facebook. In addition to summer being a busy time of year, this summer’s wildfires did not help, Fenske said.
“We were not able to put as many resources on the road because members were deployed elsewhere, that is the reality. When we have to deploy members all over the place, our proactive stuff couldn’t happen due to resourcing,” he said. “I had members everywhere. That did take away from the proactive patrols we would do in the downtown core.”
While he declined to reveal specifics about the number of members currently active in the detachment, or how many members were away over the summer - “the criminals read the paper too,” he said - a fully-staff, ideal detachment would be 10 members in Grand Forks, including himself and two full-time support staff.
Being short-staffed and under-resourced is certainly part of the problem, Fenske said, but it isn’t the whole issue, nor are rural communities being shortchanged.
“It is frustrating because I suspect that in Kelowna, people in downtown Kelowna would say the same thing: property crime is rampant and police are never around,” Fenske said. “Perception is every place is under staffed. I don’t think we’re shortchanged, but I think everyone, everywhere would like to have more officers.”
“[Council] has met with people, sought the resources, pushed the buttons,” he said. There’s a grain of truth to residents’ feelings that police are never around - short staffing over the summer and into September had that effect, he added.
Grand Forks mayor Frank Konrad declined to comment on community initiatives until after the public meeting on Dec. 14 but said he is looking forward to hearing community input.
What we can do
Fenske said there are some simple things residents can do to help protect themselves. First on the list? Lock up your stuff.
“In our theft complaints at least 20 per cent are people who don’t lock stuff,” he said.
Other tips, in the event that something is stolen, is to mark your property with something unique, like a phone number, and record the markings. Keep them somewhere safe. In the event that your stolen property is recovered, police will need some proof of ownership. A serial number or otherwise unique marking can help ensure that it will be returned to you – and not donated or trashed, like Fenske said much of recovered stolen material is.
Residents should also engage with local Citizens on Patrol and newly-formed Block Watch programs, he said.They are always encouraged to call RCMP.
Social media is often helpful for residents, he said, but cautioned against using it as the first line. For residents who have been the victims of theft, the first response should always be to call RCMP, and promptly - calling days later just makes things more difficult.
While much of the rhetoric on social media questions why law-abiding residents should have to lock up their property, Fenske said its simply acknowledging that times are changing and residents’ behavior must change too.
“I think the people that have expectations of living in a small town without locks, that is a great theory, but things are changing around you,” he said. “We’re not asking anyone to fortify their homes, but it is basic simple steps and that is not too much to ask with what negative can happen.”