Sgt. David Maludzinski gave a brief presentation on second quarter crime statistics at the town council meeting last week.

He drew attention to several areas, including increases in offences such as disturbing the peace, liquor act, mischief under $5,000, non-moving traffic offences and false alarms. He said the false alarms come when businesses’ security systems are tripped and many are repeat offenders. “At one place, if someone jiggles the front door the alarm goes off,” he said.

Maludzinski also pointed out that the number of non-moving traffic offences, such as unregistered vehicles, jumped from eight in all of 2006 to 163 for this quarter, an increase he said could presumably be accounted for by an increase in enforcement.

Jasper’s clearance rate, or number of closed files, is 80 per cent, the sergeant said. “That means 20 per cent of the crimes, we don’t know who did it,” he said. “It’s a really, really good clearance rate, especially with the tourist rates.”

Staffing continues to be an issue for the detachment, Maludzinski said. Despite efforts of police officers to recruit their own family members as guards, overtime spending for officers is way up while guard spending is down, he said.

Council said they will take these and other concerns of the Jasper RCMP detachment to the RCMP K Division conference this fall and to separate meetings with the Solicitor General and the MLA.

Cst. Lee Ruth will depart Jasper at the end of the month as he transfers to Iqaluit and is replaced by Cst. Shawn Cherwaty, who began on Aug. 23.