By Lyonel Doherty, Times-Chronicle

A quarterly report shows that violent crime in Oliver was up in Q4 2021 but down in Osoyoos during the same period.

The biggest jump (80 per cent) came from the Okanagan Correctional Centre, with 18 incidents recorded in Q4 2021 compared to 10 in Q4 2020.

In Osoyoos, violent crime was less of a problem, with 29 total incidents in Q4 2021 compared to 33 in the fourth quarter of 2020 – a decrease of 12 per cent.

These statistics were presented to the regional district board during its Feb. 3 meeting. 

The RCMP report covers statistics compiled from October to December of 2021 and compares them to the same quarter in 2020.

Under violent crime, sex offences in Oliver in Q4 2021 were down 50 per cent, from four incidents to two in Q4 2020. However, uttering threats jumped 57 per cent, from seven incidents to 11.

Domestic violence in Oliver is up 44 per cent, from nine to 13 incidents.

In total, violent crime in Oliver is up 64 per cent, from 42 incidents in Q4 2020 to 69 incidents in the fourth quarter of 2021.

In Osoyoos, assault causing bodily harm is down 28 per cent, from 18 incidents to 13. But sex offences are up from one incident in Q4 2020 to three incidents in the last quarter.

There were more threats (three) uttered in Osoyoos last quarter compared to one in Q4 2020.

Domestic violence in Osoyoos is down 25 per cent from 12 incidents to nine.

Overall , property crime in Oliver is down 23 per cent comparing the two quarters, from 128 incidents to 99.

Business break-ins are down 40 per cent (from five incidents to three), and residential break-ins increased from zero to four incidents.

Mischief to property is down 33 per cent, from 42 to 28, and thefts are down 35 per cent, from 17 to 11.

Shoplifting in Oliver jumped from five incidents to seven, and thefts from vehicles jumped 20 per cent (from 10 to 12 incidents).

There was a 67 per cent decrease in fraud, from 12 incidents in Q4 2020 to four incidents last quarter.

In Osoyoos, property crime decreased 10 per cent, from 92 incidents in the fourth quarter of 2020 to 83 in Q4 2021.

Auto theft is down nearly 30 per cent, from seven incidents to five, while bicycle theft is up from one to three incidents.

Business break-ins in Osoyoos are up 38 per cent , from eight to five, while residential break-ins are up 233 per cent (from three incidents to 10).

Break and enter to sheds and outbuildings are down 70 per cent, from 10 to three.

General theft in Osoyoos is down 27 per cent (from 11 incidents to eight), and fraud is down 25 per cent.

The top 10 calls for service in Oliver last quarter were:

Traffic incident (73)

Assist fire/ambulance (62)

Alarm (53)

Check well-being (42)

Abandoned 911 (41)

Assault (34)

Theft (28)

Motor vehicle incident (26)

Property (20)

Suspicious circumstances (19)

Oliver RCMP Sgt. Don Wrigglesworth said the only area of concern for police right now is domestic violence. He highly encouraged these victims to reach out for help instead of living with violence and putting up with it in their own homes.

Wrigglesworth reminded residents to lock up their bicycles and sheds, but acknowledged that criminals circumvent these locks anyway. 

He noted that a “burr” in their saddle is attending false alarms at local businesses. Therefore, he suggested working with the Town of Oliver to come up with a billing process to hold businesses financially responsible, particularly those that don’t do anything about their false alarms.

Wrigglesworth said there are a lot of driving complaints (speeding) in Oliver that police are dealing with. The commander noted they handed out more than 300 violation tickets by the end of Q4 2021.

Wrigglesworth also reported that the South Okanagan Situation Table is up and running, noting that more members are needed to help the region’s vulnerable people suffering crises. He added that a “youth hub” is starting up soon. 

In Osoyoos, the top calls for service last quarter were:

Alarm (49)

Property (40)

Traffic incident (40)

Check well-being (33)

Theft (32)

Assist fire/ambulance (29)

Abandoned 911 (24)

Assist general public (24)

Assist other agency (24)

Motor vehicle incident (19)

Osoyoos RCMP Sgt Jason Bayda was pleased to report that violent crime is down.

The commander doesn’t want to sound like a broken record, but he still has to remind people to lock their vehicles and keep valuables out of sight. He mentioned that one surveillance video from a homeowner shows a fellow trying door handles to see if he could score a theft, but they were locked so he quickly departed the area.

Bayda said they caught one individual with stolen property and suspect he is responsible for 80 per cent of local break-ins.

Speaking of residential break-ins, he said 40 per cent were unsecured, while another 40 per cent were entered by force. He is advising residents to ensure their sliding windows have a rod or locking mechanism to prevent entry.

Bayda reported some good news in the fact that Osoyoos RCMP filled a vacancy which puts the detachment up to “full strength” in terms of staffing. He noted they have a traffic safety expert that will help the detachment improve road safety in the community.

Last week it was reported the RCMP conducted some enhanced traffic enforcement in Oliver and Osoyoos, where several motorists were charged with impaired driving. A canine drug team was also utilized, according to police.

In the quarterly report, it is noted the top policing priorities in Oliver are property crime reduction, road safety (speeding), police visibility and employee wellness.

In Osoyoos, the priorities are reducing theft from vehicles, traffic/marine safety, and employee wellness.