The overall crime rate in Keremeos was relatively unchanged in 2020, but the type of crimes changed.
The statistics for the region were presented to the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen on Feb. 4.
The total number of calls the Keremeos detachment of the RCMP received went up by one per cent, from 1558 to 1577, from 2019 to 2020.
Half of the 16 categories of crimes included in the report saw increases in 2020, while seven saw decreases.
The largest increases in 2020 were the number of fraud cases, which rose from 16 to 26 for the year, thefts from vehicles from 24 to 38, and mischief to property from 51 to 61.
The largest percentage increases though went to business break and enters which saw an 80 per cent increase in 2020 from five to nine. Bicycle thefts also rose by 50 per cent, from four to six in 2020.
Property crime in total went up by eight per cent, with the total number of property crime cases rising from 199 to 214.
Auto thefts over the year went down, going from 20 in 2019 to 14 in 2020, while residential break and enter cases dropped by 62 per cent from 13 to five.
READ MORE: Keremeos RCMP report significant decreases in crime in 2019
Other thefts saw a decrease of 21 per cent for the year, going from 42 to 33 cases.
Violent crime in total saw a decrease of five per cent in 2020, going from 79 total cases down to 75.
The number of assaults decreased by 14 per cent, from 42 to 36, while the number of cases involving uttering threats decreased from 19 to 17.
Those decreases were offset by increases to the number of domestic violence cases, and sexual assaults. Domestic violence saw a single additional reported case in 2020, going from 19 to 20, which resulted in a five per cent statistical increase.
The number of sexual offences also rose from 8 to 10 cases for the year.
The top ten calls for service for the Keremeos RCMP detachment were to assist the general public and to respond to a traffic incident, with 24 calls for both, and 21 calls regarding suspicious circumstances.
At the other end were 15 calls regarding thefts, 12 calls for disturbances, and 11 calls for a domestic incident in progress.
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