Chief Jon Bergen discussed the city's most recent crime statistics during Thursday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Crime

Police Chief promises proactive solutions to address property crime and repeated arrests

Jun 11, 2021 | 1:00 PM

Property crime in Prince Albert continues to trend upwards in 2021.

Year-to-date (for the period ending May 31), there has been a 42 per cent increase over the same period last year. Police Chief Jon Bergen told paNOW the community’s addictions issues are a factor.

“I don’t think that somebody suffering from an addiction wants or chooses to commit a property offence, but they elect to based on the fact they have an addiction that they will continue to feed, but it’s definitely a high need when they are suffering,” he said.

Vehicle thefts (34), break-and-enters (45), and wilful damage (114) were the top three offending categories in May. Acknowledging the publics’ frustration that comes with being a victim, Bergen said the police service discourages anyone from confronting suspects.

“Property is just that. It’s property and to take risks yourself unnecessarily to protect your property is something we advise not to do,” he said.

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Bergen explained the police service is actively tracking data and allocating resources as needed. He added the public can also help by reporting any suspicious activity.

Arrests

The Prince Albert Police Service made 576 arrests last month.

A closer look at the numbers reveals multiple entries for the same person. In one case, the same man was arrested 18 times.

“When we have somebody that comes in a high number of times, or more than once in a calendar year, that’s got our attention and we are looking at different strategies to divert them away from the facility,” Bergen said.

During Thursday’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting, Ward 6 Councillor Blake Edwards inquired if the police were tracking court results. Bergen confirmed there are ongoing conversations with the government with respect to both court outcomes and conditions.

“We recognize that there’s reasons why it’s best to divert people at times, but we also recognize that somebody charged repeatedly for the same offence is problematic for the public,” he said.

Homicides

Year-to-date numbers include five victims for five separate files. Three of the homicides occurred in May and two were just two days apart.

Charges have been laid in three of the files, with no arrests in the deaths of Natasha Ross or Jeremy Starblanket.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell