Incidents related to guns and drugs appeared to go hand-in-hand in 2020. (Prince Albert Police Service)

By Nigel Maxwell

Law enforcement

Guns and drug seizures on the rise in P.A in 2020; police make gains addressing property crime

Jan 25, 2021 | 8:00 AM

There were some definite highs and lows for the Prince Albert Police Service last year, in terms of various crime related trends.

One of the more noticeable spikes came with incidents related to arsons, increasing from 31 in 2019, to 47 in 2020.

There were also some big jumps in the area related to drug possession and drug trafficking with 241 total incidents reported, compared to 194 in 2019. Incidents related to assaults, sexual violations, and kidnapping also saw small increases, but were generally on par with numbers from the previous year.

A weapons seizure in November, is one of a number of cases still before the courts. (Prince Albert Police Service)

Among the more positive trends are sharp decreases for incidents related to robberies, vehicle thefts and residential break-ins. Total incidents related to theft under $5,000 dropped from 862 in 2019 to 519 in 2020.

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Much of this was due to the work done by a special crime suppression team, assigned to target property crimes.

The team identified and arrested numerous suspects wanted on outstanding warrants and laid charges in connection with break and enters and weapons complaints. Over the course of a few weeks, 11 people were arrested with known ties to illegal activity or gangs. The officers also recovered numerous items stolen from local residents.

The 2020 year-end stats will be discussed in greater detail during Monday’s Board of Police Commissioner’s meeting, and paNOW hopes to have comments later from Police Chief Jon Bergen.

Also on the agenda are the appointment of the 2021 Board Chair, and discussion about the police service’s strategic plan.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell