Trail RCMP 2024 fourth quarter and year-end stats bring good news on some fronts
By Trail Champion
Trail RCMP have released their 2024 statistics, reporting a total of 5,533 calls for service in 2024, down from 5883 in 2023. Detachment commander Sgt. Mike Wicentowich said this is a significant drop.
“Overall, when compared to the past 5 years, this is the lowest number of calls for service that the Trail and Greater District RCMP has seen by approximately 300 to 1,000 calls,” Wicentowich said. “We believe that the creation of the new 25 bed shelter and assistance from our mental health nurse has contributed to the drop in the amount of service, as the calls that the police would typically receive did not happen and/or were diverted to the health care system or supporting agency. We believe that policing will involve more outside agencies and partnership to help address crime and justice, and associated issues.”
Even the rise in sexual assault calls may have a positive underpinning, he said.
“We believe that sexual assault reporting is up due to the Trail RCMP working with local partners to increase the ease and ability of victims to report sex related crimes to the police,” Wicentowich said. We still have a lot of work to do, but we hope all survivors can come forward to the police to tell their story.”
He said an issue of which people may be unaware is the tremendous burden the detachment shoulders when it comes to court proceedings and the many accused who decline to attend their court dates.
“One statistic that is not included in the statistics but will appear in 2025, is the Fail to Appear
statistic,” Wicentowich said. “Trail RCMP had 115 incidents where someone failed to appear in court and a process, like a warrant for their arrest, was implemented. Trail RCMP, like other policing jurisdictions, are routinely arresting and managing clients who fail to appear for their court matters and their trials. This has proved quite a burden for the police and may contribute to the perception of a revolving door
justice system. Release and bail hearings are now regularly conducted from within policing cell blocks and place an operation and administrative pressure on the police to facilitate sometimes multiple court hearings a week. Unfortunately, this can remove officers from the road and their main duties. Most people are released back into the general public even though some have missed multiple court date appearances, or committed new offences. Trail RCMP understands that there is presumption of innocence, and why this occurs, but provide a new challenged in managing valuable police time and resources.
“We anticipate this task continuing through 2025,” he added.
In a previous interview, Wicentowich also noted the dramatic decrease in theft-from-vehicles, as the fourth quarter of 2024 boasted an all-time low number of said crimes. He said he credits increased vigilance and care on the part of residents for the drop, as people have become increasingly diligent about removing all valuables from, and locking, their vehicles.
The detachments fourth quarter statistics are as follows:
- 1 homicide occurred in Montrose, BC (criminal charges laid);
- 29 assaults occurred;
- 5 sexual offences;
- 1 robbery;
- 6 theft of vehicles;
- 11 break and enters;
- 2 theft from motor vehicle (all time low);
- 11 drug investigations;
- 45 motor vehicle collisions;
- No fatal collisions in the Trail and Greater District area;
- 24 impaired driving incidents;
- 123 BC Motor Vehicle Act violations;
- 5 domestic violence incidents;
- 96 mental health related incidents;
- 102 check wellbeing incidents;
- 133 suspicious Person/Vehicle/Occurrence incidents;
- 119 unspecified assistance incidents;
- Total of 71 person and violence related criminal code files;
- Total of 179 property related criminal code files;
- Total of 329 criminal code related files;
- Total of 1351 calls for service in 2024.
2024 Year-End Highlights:
- 1 homicide/2 attempted murders;
- 105 assaults (down from 136 in 2023);
- 30 sexual offences (up from 22 in 2023);
- 2 robberies (down from 6 in 2023);
- 29 auto theft (up from 25 in 2023);
- 43 break and enters (down from 68 in 2023);
- 33 theft from motor vehicle (down from 47 in 2023);
- 32 drug investigations (same as 2023);
- 108 motor vehicle collisions (up from 106 in 2023);
- 48 impaired driving (down from 57 in 2023);
- 335 Motor Vehicle Act violations (down from 359 in 2023);
- 189 mental health related calls (up from 174 in 2023);
- 290 files involving alcohol/drugs (up from 215 in 2023);
- 185 check wellbeing incidents (down from 209 in 2023);
- 323 suspicious person/vehicle/occurrence (down from 385 in 2023);
- 216 unspecified assistance (down from 322 in 2023);
- Total of 230 person and violence related criminal code files (down from 255 in 2023);
- Total of 708 property related criminal code files (down from 714 in 2023);
- Total of 1344 criminal code related files (down from 1419 in 2023).
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