It's been a relatively steady start to the year for local police. Local RCMP Inspector Rick Head discussed their first quarter report at yesterday's council meeting, indicating crime in a number of areas was down. He indicated 71 reports of property crime during the first three months of 2016, down from 106 in 2015. Meanwhile attempted vehicle thefts were down by more than 50 per cent, with 15 incidents reported this year, compared to 34 during the same period last year. Head says it's hard to indicate just why those numbers are down, describing crime as a cycle.

"I don't know if it's just that we haven't hit the warm, warm weather yet. Crime is sometimes hard to predict, it's cyclical. It depends on offenders that may have been released, it depends on how many are incarcerated, and it depends on how many have been rehabilitated in some way."

However, not all areas of RCMP duties saw decreases. The report shows a marked increase in vehicle related enforcement. A total of 929 traffic violations were tallied in the first three months, up substantially from 598 during that same period last year. Head says that's not necessarily due to more incidents, but cites the work of their members in enforcing traffic-related laws.

"Right now we've got a strong traffic team, a strong unit that's out there really watching for infractions. We need to encourage the public to be careful, slow down, watch speeds especially in school zones, and to refrain from using your smart phones in an inappropriate way. These guys are pretty sharp, they're going to see you committing those infractions and it's important for us to keep the public safe."

Head notes police are now gearing up for the warm season, noting they often see a spike in property crimes and mischief once the temperatures warm up. He notes with the warm weather, their officers are more visible as it's safer to consistently drive through the region.

While the crime statistics show an overall decrease, Head notes they've also responded to several high-profile incidents this year. He notes the search for Chase Martens in Austin, as well as the shooting incident in Dakota Tipi First Nation both saw their members out in full force.