The Moose Jaw Police Service is looking into a slight increase in sexual assaults in 2021, compared to this same time last year. 

This is according to the October statistical extract that was presented to the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners last week that outlines the crime numbers up to the end of October. 

The report showed there was an increase of 69 per cent in reported crimes, year-to-date, compared to 2020. In 2021, there were 49 reported sexual assaults, while only 29 sex assaults were reported from January to October of 2020. 

“If you look at our five-year average, and more importantly if you look back to 2018, you will find that 2021 is actually very similar,” said Supt. Taylor Mickleborough.  

“There is only an increase of 2 files over 2018. I think it is worth noting as well, we are aware as a police service nationally and locally sexual assaults are an under-reported crime.” 

Police have found that in the major of the sexual assaults reported there was a relationship or the victim and the suspect were known to each other. 

Mickleborough also noted that many involved minors. 

“We have seen a slight increase in sexual interference and invitation to sexual touching offences which are obviously against children, so we have been doing some proactive work in those cases. Some of our ICE (Internet Child Exploitation Unit) files have led to other investigations, which have led to an increase in those files,” he said. 

Police are also continuing to see a rise in breaking and entering residential properties, but 2020 numbers were low due to the pandemic and not as many people were out-and-about. 

Impaired driving charges increased by 37 per cent compared to 2020. Chief Rick Bourassa said impaired driving is an enforcement-driven statistic. 

“It doesn’t speak to an increase in impaired drivers, we don’t know that,” he said. “What it can speak to is enforcement.” 

Meanwhile, methamphetamine charges are up 300 per cent from six in 2020 to 24 in 2021. Bourassa said they have had several seizures of meth as of late and were a part of two projects that brought in a significant amount of meth. 

He added that the Moose Jaw Police Service is also a part of a provincial meth strategy committee. 

“We’re putting a lot of effort into not only investigating and taking drugs out of circulation but also on the preventative side and the intelligence-gathering side,” Bourassa said.