According to the latest Drayton Valley RCMP report, from January to October this year, persons crime increased by 43.4 per cent compared to 2024, with 85 more offences, while property crime decreased by 2.3 per cent, with 13 fewer offences.
The biggest contributor to the increase in persons crime was assault, and S/Sgt. Ryan Hoetmer said those have all involved individuals known to each other, as opposed to random assaults, and they frequently occurred in bars, at schools, or in homeless encampments.
Regarding property crime, motor vehicle thefts specifically increased by 2.8 per cent compared to the same period in 2024, with one additional occurrence. In October, there were six total motor vehicle thefts, but Hoetmer noted that number will jump for November’s report as the detachment has seen “a rash of vehicle thefts” over the course of the month. He said the time of year is contributing to the increase, as more people are letting their vehicles idle unsecured.
Break and enters saw a 28.3 per cent drop compared to last year, with 13 fewer actual occurrences, down to 33.
Among common police activities, spousal abuse reports reached 116 by the end of October, up 33.3 per cent from the 87 reported last year. Hoetmer said these usually involve repeat offenders.
Sgt. Dan Ferri added, the increase could be in part due to a greater range of reporting options available to victims, as well as more accurate reporting by police.
“We are getting much better at tracking spousal,” he said. “When I see those codes, I am actually happy to see that up, because it shows that we’re doing our proper scoring and we’re treating spousal violence as spousal violence.”
Drayton Valley’s town council received this report for information during its regular council meeting on Dec. 3.
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