Airdrie RCMP is reporting COVID-19 has had a mixed impact on local crime, with some categories down while others have surged.
Insp. Kim Pasloske, Airdrie RCMP's detachment commander, provided a quarterly update on the detachment's activities to Airdrie City council at a regular meeting June 1. Much of her presentation outlined how the pandemic has affected the work of local police in the last few months.
“Since COVID…we’ve seen a decrease in persons crime by 50 per cent, a decrease in property crime by 12 per cent, a decrease in spousal abuse by 19 per cent and an increase in mental health by 28 per cent,” she said, comparing statistics from April 2020 with the same period in 2019. “Sexual assault is down 90 per cent, [as we] had one report in April compared to 10 last year.”
Interesting presentation at today's @City_of_Airdrie council meeting about RCMP activities, including an update on stats. Reports of spousal abuse, property crime and persons crime all down, though mental-health related reports have spiked considerably. pic.twitter.com/ITHsTXoCzH
— Scott Strasser (@scottstrasser19) June 1, 2020
With stay-at-home guidelines in place during the month of April and fewer people driving, injuries from vehicle collisions decreased significantly, Pasloske said. Property damage from vehicle collisions was also down.
April also saw decreases in reports of break-and-enters, theft, possession of stolen property and mischief, she said. Liquor Act violations were also down due to the closure of licensed premises. Pasloske said the closure of bars was also a likely contributor to fewer sexual assaults being reported.
A number of councillors, including Coun. Candice Kolson, found the decreased reports of domestic violence notable.
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“It’s a hot topic in Airdrie, and it’s almost unbelievable that, given the circumstances we’re in, we’re able to see a decrease in that,” she said.
According to Pasloske, the detachment was already experiencing a decrease in spousal abuse reports before the real impact of the pandemic occurred.
“Surprisingly, our [domestic violence] stats have definitely decreased,” she said. “From January to the end of March, we saw a decrease of 11 per cent year over year, and eight per cent from five years back.
“I would have expected an increase in domestic violence during COVID, and I anticipated that. But we’re seeing in April that we’re [down] 19 per cent.”
While the impacts of the pandemic indirectly played a role in some positive trends, the opposite was true for other categories of crime. Pasloske emphasized mental health calls increased by 28 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2019, and spiked after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Between March 11 – when the pandemic was declared – and May 29, the detachment saw almost a 50 per cent increase in mental health calls.
Drug possession reports also increased by about 125 per cent in April, Pasloske said.
“There is a current assumption that substance abuse issues will increase during COVID-19 due to increased stressors,” she said. “It’s also perhaps due to Crime Reduction Unit (CRU) members being on the watch and conducting more vehicle stops.”
According to Pasloske, Airdrie RCMP fielded 42 calls specifically related to COVID-19 by mid-May. Most of those calls were complaints from residents about individuals or groups not abiding by self-isolation or social distancing rules. A common report, she added, was responding to complaints of kids sneaking into closed public facilities like the Chinook Winds Skate Park.
Other calls were for quarantine checks and allegations that non-essential businesses had not closed when they were supposed to, she said.
“Members were often unable to substantiate these as policing complaints,” she said. “When they were substantiated, members offered education on public health restrictions and/or social or mental health supports.”
Scott Strasser, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @scottstrasser19
