Statistics from the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP show a decrease in crime in the second quarter of 2024 in Vernon.
The Vernon RCMP will present its second quarter policing report to council on Monday, Aug. 12.
According to the report, calls for service in Vernon have dropped 5.9 percent from April to June of this year, compared to the same time period last year. Criminal Code offences have also dropped 7.5 per cent, and property offences are down 16.8 per cent.
A similar trend can be seen in Coldstream, where calls for service this past quarter dropped 7.3 per cent, Criminal Code offences dropped 17.8 per cent, and property crime went down 11.3 per cent.
Rural Vernon saw a 13.8 per cent decrease in calls compared to the second quarter of last year, but also saw a 17.9 per cent spike in property offences.
Notably, Vernon and Coldstream saw a combined 65.3 per cent jump in mental health calls.
While Vernon and Coldstream's crime indicators were promising, not all North Okanagan communities had a positive quarter.
In Armstrong, calls for service rose by 13.5 per cent, Criminal Code offences went up 15.8 per cent, and property crimes spiked by 41.3 per cent.
Westside saw a staggering 151.5 per cent increase in calls for service, a 181.3 per cent rise in Criminal Code files and a 66.6 per cent jump in property offences.
Spallumcheen was a mixed bag, with roughly eight per cent decreases in calls and property offences, and a 22.7 per cent rise in Criminal Code violations.
Lumby recorded a 9.5 per cent increase in calls for service, an 8.6 per cent rise in Criminal Code files, and a 13.7 per cent decrease in property crimes.
Falkland saw a positive trend in crime statistics with a 24 per cent decrease in calls for service and a 36.3 per cent drop in property offences.
Enderby saw a 10.9 per cent drop in calls for services, while property offences in the city plummeted 25.4 per cent.
The report notes that 13 prolific offenders have been identified in the North Okanagan, five of which are currently in custody.
Meanwhile, the Integrated Crisis Response Team responded to 226 calls for service in the quarter, and assisted police officers with follow-ups on an additional 50 investigations.
