Powell River RCMP statistics for April to June 2025 indicate decreases in a number of statistics when compared to the same quarter in 2024.
At the August 21 City of Powell River Council meeting, RCMP detachment commander/staff sergeant Lee Dyson presented an expansive report, breaking down statistics in a number of areas.
Dyson said calls for service in the 2025 quarter saw a six per cent decrease when compared to the same period in 2024. There were 1,381 calls for service in 2024 and 1,292 in 2025.
In the check well-being category, Dyson indicated there was a five per cent decrease in calls from 2024 to 2025, going from 122 in 2024 to 115 in 2025. Mental Health Act cases increased, from 33 in 2024 to 40 in 2025.
Unspecified assistance, which are calls that don’t fit into any other specific category, went from 65 in 2024 to 52 in 2025, said Dyson. Missing persons dropped by half, from 14 in 2024 to seven in 2025.
“I have a feeling that may go up in the second quarter because we’ve had a little bit of a spike with people reported missing on trails and things like that,” said Dyson.
Persons crimes, including matters like assaults, are down from 116 in 2024 to 85 in 2025. Dyson said as part of that – assaults themselves – are down from 50 in 2024 to 31 in 2025.
“It’s a fairly significant decrease,” added Dyson.
Reported extortion files dropped from three in 2024 to one in 2025. There was no change in sexual offences from 2024 to 2025, with five in both quarters. Harassments went from 20 in 2024 to 18 in 2025. Uttering threats dropped from 38 in 2024 to 30 in 2025.
Dyson said overall property crime was 221 in 2024 and 178 in 2025, which was a 19 per cent decrease. Break and enters dropped in the three categories that are tracked. Residential went from five in 2024 to three in 2025, business went from 15 in 2024 to nine in 2025, and other went from three in 2024 to two in 2025.
Theft under $5,000 increased from 21 in 2024 to 28 in 2025. Shoplifting saw a 68 per cent decrease, from 38 in 2024 to 12 in 2025.
“We can attribute this to a couple of our prolific offenders who are in custody, or are not in the area,” said Dyson.
There was an increase in thefts from vehicles, from 13 in 2024 to 22 in 2025. Theft of vehicles went up from six in 2024 to seven in 2025. Frauds increased from 25 in 2024 to 28 in 2025.
“We are seeing several different frauds now, especially online frauds,” said Dyson.
There was an increase in drug offences, from eight in 2024 to 18 in 2025.
“We attribute most of this to the effectiveness of our general investigation section, which has been actively dealing with some of these issues,” said Dyson.
He said the trend continues with drug trafficking, where there was one in 2024 and six in 2025.
“That involved at least three warrants that were executed on suspected drug traffickers,” said Dyson. “That is attributed to our general investigation section, which is really active, and they have been very effective.”
Weapons offences went from eight in 2024 to 10 in 2025.
Dyson said the body-worn camera project has been delayed until October.
“We have been told that is a firm date,” said Dyson.
There are new members coming into the detachment, with a new member showing up in June, who has done extremely well, according to Dyson, and another new member is slated to arrive in September. A long-term member has departed and is going into the emergency response team on Vancouver Island.
There are no members off-duty on long-term sick leave, and as far as Dyson knows, Powell River is the only detachment in the Vancouver Island division that has no members off-duty.
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