DAWSON CREEK -- Dawson Creek is becoming a safer place to live, according to new crime statistics that show a year-over-year decline in offenses across the city.
“The RCMP team… it’s an unbelievable team that really cares about our community, and their number one goal is to make our community a safe place, and it’s showing,” said Dawson Creek Mayor Darcy Dober in an interview with CJDC-TV.
Violent crimes in the city peaked in 2022 and have been on a steady decline since then.
“They’re working hard—the numbers are going in the direction we’d like to see them,” Dober added.
Vehicle thefts and shoplifting are the only tracked crimes that saw an increase from January to May of 2024, making up a combined 193 calls. Meanwhile, property crime, both residential and business, continues to trend downward. In 2023, there were 44 calls to police for commercial break and enters compared to only 25 this year.
Violent crimes, including assaults, are also down, making up 78 calls this year compared to 93 in 2023.
Calls for service are significantly down this year with just over 3,300, compared to 3,415 in 2022 and 3,497 in 2023.
Since Staff Sergeant Rob Hughes assumed command over a year ago, business leaders and politicians have been giving him credit.
“He works hard, but, you know, he'll be the first to not take all the credit. He just kind of steers the way it's going—it really is that RCMP team,” said Dober.
The detachment says community engagement with groups such as Citizens on Patrol, Rural Crime Watch, and collaboration between regional and provincial police units deserve accolades for their efforts in helping reduce crime in the city.
In November of 2023, following a rash of gun-related violence, officers from across the region helped to increase patrols in Dawson Creek. However, the detachment says they continue to struggle with staffing issues in order to increase bicycle and ATV patrols around the city.
The latest crime statistics report can be viewed on the City of Dawson Creek website.
