Crime numbers were up slightly in Jasper this past summer, as the RCMP investigated 1138 incidents between July 1 and Sept. 30.

While liquor offences and assaults are down, driving offences are up substantially. Impaired driving charges and motor vehicle collisions were up, compared to 2007 and 2008 numbers, and total provincial traffic offences doubled from 2008 numbers.

Jasper RCMP Sgt. Dave Maludzinski presented his quarterly report to council on Nov. 17, and said there were a few areas he wanted to address. The increase in traffic violations may be attributed to an increase in enforcement, he said.

There were 205 provincial traffic offences recorded during the quarter in 2009, up from 100 in 2008 and 178 in 2007. Sgt. Maludzinski said RCMP doesn’t necessarily respond to all of those calls.

“But in Jasper, often people want the police there, and they contact us,” he said.

Liquor act violations were almost cut in half from previous years, as RCMP only issued 35 tickets between July 1 and Sept. 30 in 2009. The previous year, 64 liquor act offences were reported. Drug offences were slightly up, moving from 11 in 2008 to 12 in 2009.

Sgt. Maludzinski said he wasn’t sure if those numbers were related to visitation numbers over the summer.

Assaults were also down substantially, as police laid 19 charges in the third quarter of 2009. That compares to 30 issued during the same period in 2008, but was near the 21 issued in 2007.

“That’s a great indication of the work being done by the community,” Sgt. Maludzinski said.

Sgt. Maludzinski once again stated his concern over the number of criminal record checks and finger printing conducted in the community. In 2009, RCMP conducted 136 criminal record checks during the two quarters, which is down from 185 conducted during 2008.

“It’s lower, but it’s still a lot for a community of this size,” Sgt. Maludzinski said.

Police officers are now considering mischief calls to 911 as obstructing an officer, and the reclassification was noted in the 2009 numbers. Police counted 24 resisting arrest and obstructing an officer incidents in 2009, up from two in 2008 and three in 2007.

Jasper politicians brought up the need for more RCMP officers in the community at the recent AUMA meeting, however Coun. Mike Day said those calls weren’t well received.

“Because of our falling crime rate, our calls fell on deaf ears,” Coun. Day said.

Jasper RCMP also co-operated with Edson RCMP for a traffic stop between Oct. 18 and 22. During the stop, police issued $15,000 worth of tickets.
During the stops, police also seized 500 grams of marijuana, 509 grams of cocaine and several MDMA pills.

“We know drugs are passing by (on Highway 16), but they’re not necessarily stopping in Jasper,” Sgt. Maludzinksi said.

He also praised the work of Parks Canada wardens, noting that it has helped the RCMP.

“It’s been a benefit to us,” he said.

The RCMP was also able to train one of its members on mountain bike patrol, and hopes to have another trained and on the trails for next year.