BARRHEAD – Crime in Barrhead continues to be on a downward trend — at least if the 2021 crime statistics are any indication.
Barrhead RCMP Detachment Commander Bob Dodds told County of Barrhead councillors during their Feb. 1 meeting that the number of criminal code files in 2021 are at their lowest levels in five years.
In the 2021 calendar year, the Barrhead RCMP received 892 total criminal code complaints, down 22 per cent from the high of 1,141 in 2017.
"It's almost universally good news. The numbers are almost down in every category, except for some property crime categories," he said.
In the person crime (crimes committed directly against people) category, received 161 total complaints down 17 per cent from 2017's high of 219. It is also considerably lower than the number received in 2020 when police responded to 195 calls related to person crimes.
The highest category was assault at 81, down from 91 in 2020. It also represents a 30 per cent decrease from the 115 in 2017, which had the greatest number of assault files. The next highest category was uttering threats, criminal harassment, sexual offences other than assault, sexual assaults, extortion and robbery at 23, 10, eight, five and three, respectively.
Of those categories, only criminal harassment and extortion were higher than the previous year. In 2020, police responded to 21 criminal harassment files and five extortion complaints.
"Extortion is someone saying, ‘Do this or I will do that,’" Dodds explained. "Typically, these are people who have sent nude photos of themselves to someone they think they are talking to, but it turns out it is somebody else."
Dodds credited most of the examples to COVID-19.
"People are sitting at home, bored, communicating with people online and getting into places that they shouldn't or don't want to go," he said.
Dodds added that fortunately, no one was physically hurt, and as far as he is aware, the victims did not comply with any of the person's demands.
In the property crime categories, Barrhead RCMP received 570 complaints. This is down only marginally from 2020 which had 577, but it is down considerably from the 710 recorded in 2019.
The highest category was theft under $5,000 at 166, down from 180 the previous year and a 36 per cent decrease from 2017 when police opened 219 files.
The second-highest category was break and enter at 101, followed by motor vehicle thefts, mischief (damage to property), fraud and possession of stolen goods at 80, 71, 67, and 44, respectively.
Theft over $5,000, miscellaneous mischief and arson investigations rounded off the bottom at 15, 15 and 11.
The only categories that saw an increase from 2020 were motor vehicle thefts and fraud, going from 74 and 39 to 80 and 67, respectively.
"We need people to take their keys out of their trucks, that would certainly help, but these people are getting good at tearing apart ignition systems and getting vehicles started that way," he said.
Dodds gave an example of how quickly a motor vehicle theft can happen. On the previous weekend, an individual opened the gate leading to his residence to load his truck for a trip to the landfill.
"His truck is left running for maybe two minutes, and the next time he looks up, there it goes," he said. "That's how close they are watching properties."
A statistic Dodds said has unfortunately remained fairly static over the last five years is the number of spousal abuse calls at 59. This compares to a high of 61 in 2017 and a low of 50 in 2018.
However, he notes this number is far from accurate as the vast majority of spousal abuse calls go unreported.
"Our stats speak what many of the public perceive and the reality," he said. "There is the perception that rural crime is rampant. Of course, it is not where I want it to be, zero, but it is not doom and gloom either."
