Reports of sexual assault continue to rise in Moose Jaw – DiscoverMooseJaw.com

According to the Moose Jaw Police Department's August statistics, crimes against persons and property in Moose Jaw continue to decline.

So far, 380 crimes against the person have been registered, which is 2.6 percent less than in the previous year.

Within the category of crimes against the person, there was an increase of 27.8 percent in sexual assaults, with 46 cases registered.

Police Chief Rick Bourassa said the numbers may be due to more people reporting, speaking of the Regina Sexual Assault Centre's Moose Jaw outpost.

“Before, people had to drive all the way to Regina. Given the trauma that people are already facing, the harder it is to get help, the less likely they are to seek help.”

Bourassa said sexual assaults in Moose Jaw are more likely to occur within social networks, between people who know each other.

In cases of sexual assault that do not result in charges, the case is reviewed by an independent group of victim advocates. “They come to us later with recommendations on those specific files,” Bourassa explained.

Compared to the same period last year, the number of robberies increased by 42.9 percent; 10 cases were registered.

The number of attacks on the police has halved compared to the previous year, which corresponds to a decrease of 53.8 percent or six cases.

Overall, there was a 26.4 percent decrease in property crimes compared to the end of August 2023; a total of 1,172 crimes were recorded this year.

Among property crimes, the number of burglaries has fallen by 22.9 percent, with 145 cases recorded so far this year. “These cases come in waves,” said Bourassa.

“Sometimes a particular person or group of people is responsible for it, and we do our job and they are no longer responsible for it.”

Compared to the 230 cases of property damage last year, only 167 have been registered so far this year – a decrease of 27.4 percent.

Motor vehicle thefts increased by 17.1 percent; 41 crimes were committed in 2024.

Non-compliance with court orders has increased by 130.2 percent compared to the same period last year, with 587 cases reported. These include failure to appear in court and people not complying with the conditions of their release, such as curfews.

“Part of it comes from doing our work out there, [and] Some of it is reported by people. It's a number that fluctuates.”

The number of cases of driving under the influence of alcohol continues to decline; compared to the previous year, there has been a decrease of 14.5 percent, with 59 cases reported so far in 2024.

Bourassa said police are mainly focusing on people who are in distress and are having difficulty coping with the situation, and that despite the decline in crime, there has been an increase in emergency calls.

“The work that [officers] What we do to address many of these problems early is reflected in the reduction in crime figures – these are proactive interventions.”

The number of emergency calls to the police increased by 4.3 percent in 2024; 13,733 emergency calls have been registered so far this year.