Property related crimes decreased through the first three months of 2021, compared to 2020. However, violent offences and sexual exploitation of children continue to escalate. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Alex Rawnsley

CRIME REPORT

Property crimes drop as Nanaimo RCMP shed more light on child exploitation

May 18, 2021 | 4:48 PM

NANAIMO — More investigative muscle is bringing more crimes against children to light while the COVID-19 pandemic results in a drop of other crimes.

Nanaimo RCMP’s acting superintendent Lisa Fletcher told councillors on Monday, May 17 the rate of property thefts dropped 32 in the first three months of 2021.

“Some communities experienced more thefts, but overall as a community this was decreased. We attribute some of that to the fact that more people were home, some businesses were closed and working with less people coming into the stores.”

Despite the decrease, calls for mischief, including property damage, causing a disturbance and trespassing still made up a bulk of the requests police responded to between January and March 2021.

Mischief calls, including property damage, was the top type of call police responded to through the first three months of 2021. (Nanaimo RCMP data/NanaimoNewsNOW graphic)

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Calls involving violent crimes jumped 28 per cent, however, Fletcher said some of the increase may be a result of offenders being released from custody quicker due to COVID-19 protocols.

Fletcher also noted Nanaimo was trending up in files related to sexual offences. Cases in the city increased nine per cent year over year, above the national average of seven.

Nanaimo also saw a doubling of child sexual exploitation cases, something Fletcher believed was a result of increased media attention and reporting, along with more efficient investigations.

“We in Nanaimo are one of eight communities that has advanced training and expertise in this area and we have been doing a lot of very strong investigative work and…we’re better poised to recognize the material.”

Cases involving sexual exploitation of children increased 46 per cent across the country between the first quarter of 2020 and 2021.

The addition of a mental health liason officer to the detachment was also seen as a win since the program began in November 2020.

Fletcher said the new role was effective in handling distressed people and it’s an area the detachment wants to expand with Island Health.

“The individuals [the officer has] an opportunity to work with have been more stabilized and less likely to have repeat calls for service, which is a real positive attribute.”

Officers also wrote fewer traffic-related tickets through the first quarter of the year due to traffic volumes being down through the pandemic.

Fletcher notes cases involving impaired driving were down, however many of those tested saw very high levels of blood alcohol, something which she said was a “disturbing statistic.”

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alex.rawnsley@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley