Regina police report decreased crime rate in latest statistics

The Regina Police Service (RPS) reported a decrease in the crime rate in the latest monthly crime statistics for last month.

According to the Regina Board of Police Commissioners report, January 2024 has seen a year-to-date increase in crimes against persons of 9 .7 per cent compared to the year prior. However, crimes against property show a year-to-date decrease of 25.4 per cent decrease compared to last year.

Regina police have also reported crimes against persons and crimes against property combined have a year-to-date decrease of 18.1 per cent. According to the report, there were a total of 5,743 calls for service in January.

“For me, as somebody who’s come from a variety of backgrounds, how proactive my staff have and it really impressed me that the staff (who) are out there (are) responding quickly to calls for service,” said RPS Police Chief Farooq Hassan Sheikh.

“I think that’s what’s really impressed me, as a result of the crime stats and the fact that a lot of proactive work’s been going on.”

For the RPS Aerial Support Unit (ASU), there were 89 calls for services last month which led to the recovery of three stolen vehicles, 24 persons charged, 56 charges laid, and 22 persons arrested.

“Over a year ago, there’s some people (who) were resistant to having air support in the sky,” said Chief Sheikh. “But what it demonstrates … (by) having air support is that prevents us having to have police pursuits, that prevents danger (of) people on the road.”

According to the recent Regina board of police commissioners report, police reported 170 drug overdose occurrences, and stated 17 apparent deaths related to drug overdoses. Police administered Narcan five times in January.

“If we keep targeting drug traffickers, keep taking our main supplies out, that we’re taking drugs off the street,” he said. “I know with the seizures that they’ve had in the last couple of months, it will positively impact, obviously, safety for our communities.”

On Feb. 16, members from the RPS recovered nine kilograms of fentanyl, which is one of the largest amounts of fentanyl ever seized by police in Regina.

The chief of police said more details will be provided at the next board of police commissioners report.

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