The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Trevor Miller Flin Flon's crime rate, on paper at least, rose 32 per cent (228 incidents) between 2010 and 2011. As we await the 2012 stats, how big of a concern is crime? While certainly a cause for some concern, I think an important part of the story of crime rates in our community is the broader context of the North. While the numbers from 2010 to 2011 did go up significantly, we are still well below the rates seen in other major communities like Thompson or The Pas. Our local RCMP detachment has done an excellent job of keeping gang activity in our city down compared to the other two major centres, and part of the rise in arrests is down to their efforts in keeping those elements out of our area. Ken Mansell Crime is always a concern but a 32 per cent increase is indeed alarming. Of course statistics for 2012 must be analyzed carefully to see if we have major trends developing. Figures can lie and liars can figure, however an increase of 228 incidents is very believable. Cell phones make reporting crimes much easier. This could account for some increase but violent offences would most likely be reported sooner or later and they are up 25 per cent, disturbing. Cocaine trafficking charges tripled and impaired driving increased by 21 per cent. Same old story, drugs and alcohol. We have had booze problems for years but the hard drugs, becoming all too common, are likely the culprits. Apart from the devastating violence to our women, the stats aren't surprising, but I do think a lot of people were disgruntled with the Young Offenders Act and wish more parents would take an active role. This is still a great place to raise a family, but I would like to see stats on how much police time is spent 'babysitting' wayward minors. It's great to see some crimes have lessened. I won't say which for fear of jinxing it, but clearly some departments are really getting things right by lending their education through school presentations for younger ages.
