The latest crime statistics out of Dawson Creek point to a notable increase in assaults and cases of impaired driving.
Last month, there were 654 calls for service, down from 682 during the same period last year. Of those, 147 calls occurred in the surrounding rural areas, including Pouce Coupe.
Incidents of impaired driving more than doubled last month, with the RCMP reporting 14 cases.
Two cases of drug possession or trafficking were reported, up from one in January of 2024. During a presentation of the detachment report to City Council this morning, Staff Sergeant Scott Hughes said he expects that number to rise with changing provincial decriminalization laws.
Assaults increased to 14 cases last month from nine, largely due to drive-by shootings that took place between January 17 and 19. An officer who was shot at during the incident is now back at work after a 12-gauge slug went through the window of his vehicle, according to Hughes.
Mental health calls remained the same at 51. There was a decrease in break-and-enter cases, with numbers down for incidents involving both residences and businesses.
In his report, Hughes noted that property crime and mental health issues remain the majority of calls for service.
There were also 22 files recorded for police events involving the city’s homeless population.
Dawson Creek’s Citizens on Patrol continues to monitor the community, acting as the “extra eyes and ears” to assist RCMP by reporting suspicious activity.
According to the report, support for combating violent crimes will continue to be made available by North District Major Crimes, Regional General Investigation Section, and neighboring detachments.
“Dawson Creek local members have been engaged in an extra patrol initiative to target our repeat offenders, conduct curfew compliance checks and enforcement at known-to-police residences in our City,” said Hughes.
RCMP resources will also be made available on an as-needed basis.
“Dawson Creek RCMP again saw the outstanding and immediate support in combatting the gun violence that arose in Dawson Creek this month,” said Hughes.