Squamish’s growing population is putting pressure on its local police force, said RCMP in their annual report to council Tuesday afternoon.
The biggest change in statistics compared to last year was a 39 per cent increase in thefts from vehicles.
“We have to admit that Squamish is growing and in our municipality what we’re witnessing is big city crimes, and this is one of those,” said Staff Sgt. Jolaine Percival. “We constantly remind residents to lock their cars and remove items of value from the vehicles. These types of crimes are sometimes crimes of opportunity.”
There was also a small increase in stolen vehicles and property crimes, but sexual assaults and break and enters were down. Overall, the force saw total calls increase by 0.38 per cent and violent crime increased by five per cent, or 14 more cases than last year.
The statistics cover the entire jurisdiction of the Squamish RCMP, with boundaries of Lions Bay to the south and the “big orange bridge” to the north.
Percival said as the population grows in Squamish, the community will eventually face challenges unless RCMP resources are increased to match.
This year the District chose to provide funding for a new position focused on sexual assault and domestic violence cases. This year 10 sexual assaults were reported, but those statistics are expected to change with a new dedicated officer.
The local RCMP have also launched a Twitter account, something Cpl. Sascha Banks, Squamish RCMP media relations officer, said “is a way for us to tell our story.”
