Fort St. John crime statistics show sharp increase in 2023

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – The Fort St. John RCMP reported substantial issues with shoplifting and prosecution during a presentation of the 2023 annual review to the City of Fort St. John Council and Mayor Lilia Hansen.

Staff Sergeant Scott Watson, Acting Officer in Charge, presented the detachment’s statistics for 2023 during a Committee of the Whole meeting on August 12th and answered questions about current crime rates within the city.

The presentation reviewed the RCMP activities, membership and crime statistics throughout 2023.

The RCMP detachment currently has 38 municipal members, 12 provincial members, three First Nations Officers, and one reserve constable.

More than 24 individuals, ranging from municipal employees to public service employees and victim services staff, are also employed with the Fort St. John RCMP.

Watson also discussed current vacancies in Fort St. John, stating that four positions are currently vacant without a replacement officer lined up. These are due to medical, maternity, or paternity leave or transfer positions.

When comparing 2023 information to that collected annually from 2019 to 2022, Watson showed how criminal code calls have risen significantly in 2023, especially in the downtown area.

When broken down further, offences related to crimes against individuals have increased marginally since 2019, while property crimes have almost doubled in 2023 compared to 2022.

Watson explained these were primarily due to theft and that shoplifting and mischief had increased in recent years.

Watson also told councillors he could already tell that shoplifting calls would be higher in 2024, as downtown businesses and major grocery stores such as Safeway and Walmart have had consistent and substantial problems with shoplifting.

Entire carts full of items have been taken from Walmart on multiple occasions, and Watson detailed an instance in the last several weeks where an individual was assaulted at the Fort St. John Safeway when attempting to stop a theft.

When asked by councillors whether these increases in crime rates were only present in Fort St. John, Watson stated it was a problem ‘everywhere.’

In combination with a lack of sheriffs in the region, the possibility that the increase in crime rates downtown and minor shoplifting could be partially due to the presence of homeless individuals could not be ruled out, Watson told the council.

Following the presentation, Hansen and Watson agreed that the Fort St. John RCMP would begin presenting the council with monthly reviews as well as an annual review.