What stands out to Staff Sgt. Jennifer Prunty from the Sunshine Coast RCMP’s reports on the third quarter of 2023 — from July 1 to Sept. 30 — is an increase in property crimes at businesses in Sechelt.
Break and enters at businesses on the lower Sunshine Coast rose 338 per cent from eight in the third quarter of 2022 to 35 in the same time period this year, though break and enters at residences decreased by 50 per cent to four from eight. Shoplifting rose by 69 per cent to 22 calls from 13.
Although Gibsons did not see an increase in break and enters at businesses, Sechelt saw such calls go from five in Q3 of 2022 to 29 in the same time period of this year, a jump of 480 per cent. Shoplifting in the Sechelt area increased to 18 calls from five, a difference of 260 per cent.
Prunty said she was not surprised to see the bulk of the reports were from the downtown Sechelt area because that’s where there is a concentration of businesses. There were also more disturbance reports, which Prunty said “can run the gamut from somebody yelling and screaming” where it’s unclear if it’s a medical or police call, to someone refusing to leave a place after they are asked.
“Property crime definitely is on the rise,” Prunty told Coast Reporter. “I think that there's still a lot of property offences that are not being reported. So if someone notices, say, in the morning that their car has been rifled through, we would appreciate it if they would at least call to let us know that. Either phone the non-emergency number, or use the online crime reporting app. And at least let us know because what we can do then is track the information in the movement.”
Overall, the Sunshine Coast RCMP responded to a total of 2,725 calls for service in the third quarter of 2023, which includes 584 in the Town of Gibsons and 1,480 calls for service in Sechelt. Last year during the third quarter of 2022, the number of calls were 2,261 overall, 493 in Gibsons and 1,207 in Sechelt.
On the lower Coast, falls and/or abandoned calls increased by 31 per cent from 36 to 47. There were 40 missing persons compared to 19 the previous third quarter. Well-being checks increased from 131 calls to 150.
In the Sunshine Coast overall report, there was an increase of total assaults to 90 from 59 (a 53 per cent change). Twenty-five of those were assaults with a weapon and/or causing bodily harm, an increase of 127 per cent from the previous year. Fourteen calls were related to sexual offences, an increase of 17 per cent. Seven of those calls were categorized in the report as sexual assault, up by 75 per cent.
Gibsons
In her Oct. 17 presentation to Gibsons council, Prunty noted that CBH stands for causing bodily harm in reference to assault with a weapon. In the police report for Gibsons call outs the percentage of assaults with a weapon in Gibsons increased by 1,000 per cent (one in the third quarter of 2022 to 11 in the third quarter of 2023), which Prunty said the marked increase included four domestic assaults involving family members, two incidents of youths with pellet guns, four assaults committed “by two well known offenders who have experienced mental health issues” who the police “deal with quite frequently” and only one stranger attack, which was a road rage incident.
(In an interview with Coast Reporter, Prunty said anyone reading the reports should pay more attention to the number of reported offences, and less so the percentages included in the data, because slight changes can appear more dramatic. Our numbers are “still considerably lower compared to other neighbourhoods in other communities throughout B.C.” She also noted that there is room for error with how the files are scored internally that could affect statistics.)
In Gibsons for the quarter, there was no change for business break and enters, which remained at three. Shoplifting calls in Gibsons decreased from six to four. Break and enters at home decreased to zero this quarter from two in the same time period the year before.
“Overall, we had 23 charges laid, which is up from 19 the same quarter last year. Our calls for service were 584, which is up from last year, which was 493,” Prunty reported to Gibsons council. There was a decrease in abandoned or false 911 calls. Mental health-flagged calls increased to 87 calls from 52. The total of sexual offences increased to five from one, while there were two call-outs for kidnapping and three for extortion. Fraud increased 63 per cent compared to the same quarter last year, to 13 calls from eight. Mischief to property increased by 50 per cent — up to 27 from 18.
Coun. Annemarie De Andrade asked about the 11 missing persons files tallied in the report. Prunty said that all missing persons were recovered, adding that some of the files are for people who reside in other communities but are reported as missing by local family members. “We have no outstanding missing people right now on the Coast,” Prunty said.
Coun. Christi Thompson asked about the province’s update on the decriminalization of controlled substances and if there’s anything worth noting since that change came into effect. On Sept. 18, the legislation was amended so the exemption of open drug use was not as broad, by forbidding use within 15 metres of play structures at playgrounds, with 15 metres of a spray or wading pool and within 15 metres of a skate park. Prunty said it’s given the police “a little bit more leeway” for addressing “nuisance behaviour” around where children would congregate. In the report for Gibsons, the drug offences section for possession and trafficking in the town was zero across the board.
David Croal, who was acting deputy mayor during the meeting, thanked Prunty for explaining the report.
Sechelt
On Oct. 24, Prunty presented localized statistics for the Sechelt area and the Sunshine Coast overall in a closed meeting for representatives from the district and the Sunshine Coast Regional District. After the meeting, she forwarded those reports to Coast Reporter.
Assaults totalled 53 in Sechelt for Q3, including 12 assaults with a weapon and / or CBH (an increase of 43 and 50 per cent respectively). Although the total of sexual offences was six compared to seven the same time the previous year, sexual assaults rose to four from one.
In Sechelt, there were more missing persons cases this quarter compared to the same time last year; 21 missing persons were reported compared to nine.
Sechelt representatives asked Prunty for a breakdown of call-outs to encampments near High Tide, outside the Sechelt Shelter (before it reopened) and St. Hilda’s. Prunty reported there were 70, 10 and 33 respectively.
Mental health flag calls rose by 38 per cent from 121 to 167 year to year, and there were 80 calls this quarter for well-being checks. Prunty said mental health flags indicate a mental health issue in conjunction with what the police were called, where mental health issues are evident or a component. The bulk of cause disturbance and check well being files will also have a mental health flag, she added.
While impaired operation of a motor vehicle was down by 56 per cent in Gibsons (18 in 2022, eight in 2023), it increased in Sechelt by 29 per cent (24 in 2022, 31 in 2023).
New staff
The department is excited to welcome Sgt. Calvin Aird as the new Operations noncommissioned officer (NCO), Prunty said in the Oct. 17 meeting in Town of Gibsons council chambers. The Operations NCO is responsible for overall operations of the units, including HR and event planning, as well as oversight on serious incidents. The last time that role was filled was when Prunty took that position prior to becoming the acting detachment commander role (and then taking on that job permanently).
“We’ll have some stability with Calvin in that role now — no longer a series of actors going through it,” Prunty said. “We’re happy to finally have it filled on a permanent basis.”
Prunty also reported there are no “hard vacancies” for the department, while there are five “soft vacancies” for members who are on parental leave or a graduated return to work (in the case of injury or illness).
