DAWSON CREEK, B.C. - Overall crime indicators are trending downward in Dawson Creek in 2026, according to the city’s top RCMP officer.
Speaking to Dawson Creek council this week, Staff Sergeant Rob Hughes said most crime categories are down through the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2025, including vehicle thefts, thefts from vehicles and break-ins.
The detachment has responded to 6,411 calls for service so far in 2026, down from 6,667 during the same period last year.
Among the biggest decreases were business break-ins, which fell 54 per cent, while residential break-ins dropped 20 per cent. Vehicle thefts were down eight per cent and thefts from vehicles declined nearly four per cent.
Hughes credited Sergeant Sean Peddle’s proactive policing strategy targeting prolific offenders and repeat shoplifters with helping drive down property crime in Dawson Creek.
“Clearly it has had an effect that is getting us going in the right direction,” said Hughes referring to proactive enforcement initiatives led by Sergeant Peddle.
One category moving higher was assaults, which increased 17 per cent to 206 files from 176 last year.
However, Hughes said most assaults involve people who know each other.
“These are almost all known to each other. There’s domestic violence pieces to it. There’s group homes where the youths are fighting with each other within the group home,” said Hughes. “Dawson Creek is not somewhere where we have strangers walking down the street and get assaulted.”
Hughes noted the community has seen only one random assault involving strangers in the past three-and-a-half years.
Drug possession and trafficking files also increased, rising 48 per cent compared to 2025. Hughes said that figure reflects officers actively targeting drug activity rather than a growing problem in the community.
“This number going up shows the proactivity of our frontline and our general investigation team,” Hughes said. “This is our detachment being proactive and trying to hammer those people that are in this world.”
Other categories showing declines this year include impaired driving investigations, mental health-related calls and files involving the city’s unhoused population.
“We owe thanks to organizations like COPS, Rural Crime Watch, CTA, Crime Stoppers and the members of the public who report crime and suspicious activity,” said Hughes
Hughes said the overall numbers show police efforts are helping push crime trends in the right direction.