RCMP in New Brunswick have released their annual report for 2018, and while the number of calls went up, crime rates remain steady.
Calls related to assault, harassment, and child exploitation all went down significantly.
Sexual assault reports, on the other hand, saw a jump from 490 in 2017. RCMP Cpl. Jullie Rogers-Marsh says it’s hard to say why.
“We received 519 reports, so definitely an increase. Without really getting into each incident it’s hard to really say why. Is it because we’re getting more reports because people feel more comfortable coming forward?” she said in an interview.
Homicide victims were down by three, but Mounties say that does not include the victims of last year’s Fredericton shooting, as they did not occur in RCMP’s jurisdiction. It is, however, investigating the deaths.
The report shows that traffic-related incidents continue to be an issue, with high numbers across the board.
In 2018 @RCMPNB responded to 19 fatal crashes that involved alcohol and/or drugs. There is no excuse for driving while impaired. #DriveSober
— RCMP New Brunswick (@RCMPNB) August 4, 2019
Rogers-Marsh says motor-vehicle fatality numbers are still too high, especially those involving people not wearing seat belts.
“67 in 2018 is 67 too many. For us, the increase of people not wearing seat belts and it being a fatal, that is concerning. It’s something that we feel is preventable,” she said.
She says road safety continues to be one of the RCMP’s top priorities, and that more work needs to be done to ensure people are being safe in their vehicles.
Fraud also went up 600 cases, but the report says that’s due to a change in a call code.
While the number of service calls and other stats increased in the past year, Rogers-Marsh says that doesn’t mean there is more crime—just that more people are reporting it.
“In 2018 the RCMP responded to or providing support for more than 123,000 calls for service. Overall the crime rate in our jurisdiction remains steady, but New Brunswick is still a very safe province to live in,” she said.
A full copy of the report can be found online.
