(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)
November 14, 2016 - 9:31 AM
VERNON - Police are reporting a significant spike in the number of thefts and break-ins happening in Vernon.
Compared to the same time last year, property crime is up 8.7 per cent, according to a report to city council from Supt. Jim McNamara.
From July to September, there were 245 thefts from vehicles in the City of Vernon, with 104 in September alone. There were 205 thefts from vehicles within the same time period in 2015. The figures follow several public appeals from the detachment asking people to lock up their cars and never leave valuables unattended.
There were also 86 residential break-ins over the three months, up from 51 during the same time in 2015.
Officers handled a high caseload overall from July to September, with the number of crime files up by almost 500 incidents to 4,651 in 2016 from 4,195 in 2015. Much of the spike is due to the increase in property crime.
“Continuing with the recent trend in the Southeast District of the province, the Vernon/North Okanagan Detachment recorded an increase in criminal code cases of 5.8 per cent from the previous year,” McNamara says in the report.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston or call 250-309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.
We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.
News from © iNFOnews, 2016