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(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)

Kamloops RCMP received more than 2,500 property crime reports in the first three months of this year.

RCMP statistics show reported property crimes from January to March are the highest they've been since at 2020 with a 22 per cent increase over last year.

Of the 2,620 reported property crimes, 2,448 were found to be legitimate crimes, according to the Kamloops RCMP's first quarter report going to city council on Monday, June 5.

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RCMP don't provide a full breakdown of the kinds of property crimes reported by residents, but it does include statistics for crimes like break and enters and vehicle thefts. The rate of reported break and enters has fallen since last year at both businesses and homes.

The report said 141 vehicles were stolen in the first three months of 2023, and increase of 27% over the same time period in 2022. There were 335 thefts from vehicles, up 3%, but fewer than the 528 reported during the same period of 2020.

Property crimes included in the report dropped by 2% from 2022, so it's not clear what has contributed to the overall 22% increase. However, property crimes can include theft, vandalism and arson, which weren't specified in the report.

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Crimes against people, which include murders, assaults, sexual assaults and robberies, also rose in the first quarter when compared to last year. There were 8% more compared to 2022.

There were 272 common assault files in 2023 compared to 253 in 2022 and 219 in 2021.

Kamloops RCMP also recorded 175 uttering threats complaints so far this year with 156 in 2022 and 141 in 2021.

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