While the number of property crimes in Summerland has been decreasing this year, the number of violent crimes is significantly higher than a year ago, according to the latest RCMP statistics.
The Penticton South Okanagan Similkameen Regional Detachment quarterly report, covering the months from April to June, showed Summerland’s violent crime figures, in every category, are higher than they were a year earlier.
From January to June, there were 25 assaults, up from 17 in the same period in 2022. Incidents of uttering threats increased from 11 in the first six months of last year to 23 in the first six months of this year. Domestic violence incidents rose from seven in the first six months of last year to 16 during the same period this year.
In most property crime categories, numbers have showed a decrease. There were 194 property crime incidents reported to the RCMP from January to June of this year, down from 213 in the first six months of 2022.
However, in two property crime cases, the figures increased.
Thefts from vehicles were up from 16 in the first six months of 2022 to 29 in the first six months of this year.
Frauds increased from 26 in the first six months of 2022 to 40 in the first six months of this year.
In total, police received 1,298 calls for service in the first half of this year, a six per cent increase from the 1,230 calls for service in the first six months of last year.