When it comes to crime in Flin Flon, Flin Flon RCMP Sgt. Mark Svaren says social media creates an incorrect perception.
Svaren spoke to members of the Flin Flon and District Chamber of Commerce at their March 13 meeting.
Svaren gave the public an update on the detachment’s crime prevention strategy, gave recent statistics for certain types of problem activity and tipped his hand for some future plans.
“I once learned in a statistics class that statistics can be used to prove anything – even the truth,” he joked.
Svaren told members that property crime to homes and businesses in Flin Flon had seen a dramatic dip in the past two years, going from 603 instances in 2015 to 496 last year – a drop of more than 20 per cent. On average, Flin Flon RCMP received a property crime call every 18 hours in 2017.
While the numbers show a decrease in calls, Svaren noted many people perceive crime to be rising in Flin Flon, citing how quickly and how often crimes are posted online as a factor.
“Over the last three years, we have taken a bite out of property crime in Flin Flon – Post It would beg to differ,” he said, referring to the Flin Flon Post It Facebook group.
“I’m absolutely going to blame social media for a perception that things have gotten markedly worse. We now know news from across town about three minutes before it happens.”
Svaren pinned the majority of crimes on a small group of chronic offenders between ages 15 and 19 – most of whom do not fall under the scope of Flin Flon’s youth curfew bylaw, instated by city council last year.
The number of offenders rises and falls depending on a number of factors – it’s estimated that the number is in the single digits.
“I don’t think it’ll come as a surprise to anyone that it’s a very small number of people who are committing the majority of offences. If we can get a leg up on that small group, our numbers take a dramatic downturn,” said Svaren.
RCMP have placed several of the habitual offenders on conditions.
“We do our best to get these people on conditions and subsequently do our best to monitor those conditions,” said Svaren.
“They’ve got basically three choices – either obey them, leave, or go to jail.”
While the crime stats have gone down, Svaren admitted there had been a rash of property crimes in February, coinciding with the release of some familiar faces from jail.
“You could have set your watch to it. As soon as they got back, we started seeing problems again,” he said.
“We now have those individuals either on arrest warrants or they’ve been arrested on conditions. As soon as that happened, we started seeing a decrease again. I don’t think that’s any coincidence.”
Public intoxication
Svaren said the Flin Flon detachment’s hands are tied on making progress in public intoxication cases.
Svaren said the number of public intoxication reports had gone down over the past year. Police received 122 calls between Oct. 2017 and March 2018. During the same time last year 138 calls were received – a 12 per cent decrease.
“While that shows a bit of a decrease, I think it shows just how high it is, how many calls for service of that type we’re getting here,” said Svaren.
RCMP are aware of the frequent presence of intoxicated individuals on Main Street, having received dozens of calls over the past year.
“They’re either just hanging out on Main Street and causing a problem by being intoxicated, or who because of their intoxication are causing other problems – committing other offences, scaring other citizens by their behaviour,” he said.
Svaren voiced his frustration with the provincial Intoxicated Persons Detention Act. While officers can arrest a subject and lodge them in cells or a detoxication centre until they sober up, they cannot issue fines or any additional charges.
City officials cannot pass any bylaw or measure to override the act. Other provinces, including Saskatchewan, are able to issue fines and penalties for public intoxication.
“I know we’re frustrated as police. Council is frustrated. Despite the effort that goes into it, there’s no consequence, other than it’s eating up a lot of time for the police, a lot of taxpayer funds and a lot of headache for our business community and residents. It seems that there’s no consequence to those committings,” said Svaren.
New plans
Some changes will be coming to the way RCMP works in Flin Flon.
Svaren announced the detachment may step up foot patrols in residential areas, expanding on existing foot patrols on Main Street.
“We want to be in places people don’t expect us to be at times people don’t expect us,” said Svaren.
On the subject of Main Street, foot patrols may be stepped up in that area as well, with officers aiming to cut down on crimes like shoplifting and public intoxication.
Svaren also said the detachment will be introducing bike patrols around Flin Flon once temperatures rise, saying they’re a good way to increase public visibility and observe larger areas.
“It’s the exact same philosophy (as a foot patrol) but it covers more ground. That’s something we’re looking at adding as the weather starts to improve here,” he said.
Bylaws introduced by city council over the past year, including a bylaw prohibiting smoking within five metres of any business entrance, were also discussed. Svaren said enforcing the bylaws has not been a top priority for the department.
“I haven’t noticed anything yet with the smoking bylaw. That’s something our officers wouldn’t get going out and proactively looking for,” he said, adding that officers would respond if business owners called to have unwanted smokers moved.
“My initial thought when I read the bylaw was that business owners are going to want people around them to comply. That’s what it’s for – for everyone to have access to your business.”
