Calls for police help in Grand Forks and Christina Lake have continued their downward trend for the summer, according the detachment staff sergeant
The Grand Forks RCMP added up their calls for service, and once again, have seen a decrease in the calls for police assistance, said detachment commander Sgt. Darryl Peppler in a news release. Those calls for service can range from noise complaints and missing license plates to break and enters, thefts, serious assault calls, impaired driving and much more.
For the months of July and August, the RCMP have noted a downward trend over the last few years. In 2023, Mounties noted a 30 per cent decline in calls for service from the previous year dropping to 403 calls in Grand Forks and 103 calls in Christina Lake, for a total of 506 calls.
In the summer of 2022, there were 529 calls for service in Grand Forks and 135 at Christina Lake for a total of 664.
For the same time period in 2021, there were 580 calls in Grand Forks and 142 out at Christina Lake, for a total of 722 total calls.
“There could be a variety of reasons that have led to this decline in our call volume, Sgt. Peppler stated. “Anything from a decline in tourism and motorists driving though as a result of the province-wide wildfire activity to certain ‘clients’ having left town.”
He added that while the detachment has been short-staffed, gaps or shortages were filled with local officers working overtime and outside resources and support being brought in, allowing officers to maintain a strong presence in the community, on the highways and out at Christina Lake.
