A back alley on the east side of the city (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

High-priority cops

Special task force created for property crime

Aug 22, 2019 | 12:42 PM

Prince Albert police are taking immediate measures to deal with a spike in property crime around the city.

The force announced the creation of the special three-officer unit targeting break and enters late Wednesday.

“This task force will be focused on analyzing the trends and patterns behind property crime with the goal of enforcement and prevention,” Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) Chief Jon Bergen said in a media release. “The task force will review and investigate break and enters to residential homes and businesses in the city to not only arrest those responsible for property crimes, but ensure stolen property is returned to the rightful owners.”

The move comes during a week filled with discussion on how to curb break-ins in Prince Albert.

On Monday city councillors discussed the possibility of creating a curfew for all back alleys and walkways in the city. The potential bylaw would give police the ability to stop, search and ask for the identification of anyone found in those areas at night.

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On Wednesday a prolific break-and-enter offender was re-arrested by police in the city after a two-day search operation that involved both RCMP and PAPS.

Prince Albert crime statistics show there were 149 break-ins to sheds and out-buildings between January-July of this year, up 91 per cent from the same period last year.

Numbers for residential break-ins remain relatively stable with 160 homes being broken into during the first seven months of 2018, and 164 during those months this year.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom