Image Credit: Q101

By James Peters

Crime Trends

Merritt RCMP boasts 20 per cent drop in crime in 2020

Jan 29, 2021 | 2:25 PM

MERRITT, B.C. — Merritt RCMP are boasting of a 20 per cent drop in crime in their community.

According to a news release from Detachment Commander Staff Sergeant Major Steph Drouin, that’s “the largest per capita drop in the entire RCMP Southeast District.” Numbers still need to be confirmed by Statistics Canada.

Drouin broke down crime trends by category:

Image Credit: CFJC Today

The commander also noted both violent offences and commercial break-and-enters down four per cent.

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Drouin attributed the rise in weapon and drug trafficking offences to “proactive enforcement and targeted interdiction” efforts of both Merritt RCMP and specialized support units.

He says the COVID-19 pandemic may have led to the reductions noted in the region, as similar trends have been noticed elsewhere in the Southeast District.

“This information is intended to create better awareness and understanding of the incidence of crime in our community, and help enable community engagement and further promote crime prevention,” Drouin said.