(File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Good results

Task force lowers property crime in Prince Albert

Oct 28, 2019 | 3:24 PM

The average number of break and enters in Prince Albert month-to-month has dropped since July, and a big reason for that is the work of a special police task force.

The temporarily assigned suppression team, consisting of one sergeant and three constables, solved 21 cases from Aug. 20 to Sept. 27. Fourteen people were charged and six possession of stolen property criminal charges processed.

Police Chief Jon Bergen said he is happy with the results.

“I think the results of the four investigators are outstanding and we see that in our stats,” he said.

One of the team’s most recent busts involved two stolen Bobcats, a truck and a trailer from Saskatoon, with a value well exceeding $100,000. The stolen property was recovered in the Prince Albert area.

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The team was initially created to address a spike in property crime in the city. From January to July, the average number of incidents month-to-month climbed from 33 to 101. Since July, the number has fallen and was down to 49 in September. The majority of people charged were in custody for a period of time, which impacted the number of crimes committed in the city.

While the short term project may be ending, Bergen said a new crime reduction team consisting of members from both city police and the RCMP will take over in the new year. Thier mandate will cover crimes against people, gangs, guns and property crime, Bergen said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell