FORT FRANCES—OPP detachment commander Insp. Dave Lucas gave town council a report on year-end statistics for 2006, with the numbers showing district police with higher-than-average rates for crimes solved.
In 2006, police received reports of 3,888 incidents, compared to 4,061 in 2005. Of these, 172 were violent crimes, down from 235 in 2005.
Local OPP had a clearance rate of 95.3 percent in 2006, as opposed to 93.3 percent the year before. The provincial average is about 92 percent.
There were 514 property crimes reported last year, with a clearance rate of 34.6 percent. In 2005, 471 property crimes were reported, with police only seeing a clearance rate of 25.9 percent.
The provincial average is about 22 percent.
The OPP also laid a total of 373 Criminal Code charges in 2006, compared to 365 in 2005. There was a total of 39 drug crimes reported in 2006, compared to 50 in 2005.
A total of 17 drug charges were laid in 2006, down slightly from 20 in 2005.
There was a total of 165 motor vehicle collisions reported in 2006, compared to 212 in 2005.
A total of 510 Highway Traffic Act charges were laid in 2006, down from 672 the year before. These included 34 impaired driving charges in the past year, down slightly from 38 in 2005.
Police also laid 222 Liquor Licence Act charges, compared to 166 in 2005.
In 20006, OPP issued 181 parking tickets—up dramatically from just 59 in 2005. And a total of six town bylaw charges were laid in 2006, down from 11 in 2005.
Police collected a total of $13,189 in revenue for the town in 2006, up slightly from $12,957 in 2005.
There were no public complaints against the police in 2006, compared to four in 2005.
The OPP worked a total of 35,803 hours in 2006, compared to 32,862 in 2005 (note: these hours don’t include the 1,883 overtime hours worked in 2006, nor the 2, 410 OT hours worked in 2005).
Insp. Lucas noted the public should be congratulated for helping stop crime this past year. In two break-and-enter incidents, the suspects were reported by the public, arrested, and charged according to the descriptions given.
These two arrests led to the more than 50 charges being laid against the culprits, who were connected to other crimes beyond the incidents they were nabbed for.
In other police news from 2006, the OPP got a new police commissioner—Julian Fantino—and Coun. Sharon Tibbs asked if this would change any of the detachment’s priorities.
Insp. Lucas noted that Fantino is highly-committed to public safety, with a focus on detecting, solving, and preventing violent and property crimes, as well as taking aim at aggressive driving, seatbelt usage, and impaired driving.
Insp. Lucas also noted Fantino wants to increase the OPP’s visibility, and at some point during the year, officers will go back to black-and-white cars, as opposed to white with the blue and gold stripes.
The selection process is underway for a new staff sergeant after Paul Pirie retired Dec. 22 while Cadet Kristin Lee became a constable in Red Lake.
She has been replaced by Cadet Matt Bartlett.
And the OPP once again held its “Fishing for Futures” outing last summer, where 30 district kids got to go fishing with active, retired, and auxiliary officers.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
