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West Shore mental health calls up by more than 60 per cent in August

Traffic complaints top the list of specific calls for service this August
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In August, the West Shore RCMP received 259 calls relating to traffic complaints. (West Shore RCMP file image)

The West Shore RCMP received approximately 60 per cent more calls for service relating to mental health in August compared to the same month last year.

Last month, the department received a total of 2,175 calls for service, of those, 134 were for mental health – up from 84 calls in 2019.

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“In the summer months, we typically see an increase in calls for service compared to the rest of the year. This can be due to more visitors and tourists coming through the West Shore. What’s significant about 2020 has been the increase in calls for service when it comes to mental health and checking the well-being of a person (not mental health-related),” said Const. Nancy Saggar, media relations officer, in a press release.

Last month the department received 93 calls for well-being checks, up from 53 last August.

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West Shore RCMP released the number of calls for service in August categorized by the type of call on Thursday. The number of calls does not confirm the number of offences that have occurred, but rather how the calls were initially reported.

Traffic complaints were near the top of that list with 259 reports to police, following calls categorized as “other criminal code” with 278. Third on the list was 231 calls about a suspicious person, vehicles or occurrences.

“Other criminal code includes anything outside of what we have listed specifically already, for example, criminal offences like cruelty to animals, warrant executions, drug-related offences, firearms act, family law act, civil issues that people called police for but after investigation were advised their complaint fell under civil law etc.,” said Saggar in an email.

At the bottom of the list, there were five calls relating to quarantine – although the detachment has not issued any quarantine act violations – six calls for break and enters and 11 calls about sudden deaths.

More than 30 calls were false or abandoned 911 calls and there were 62 false alarm calls.

To view the full list of calls visit bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca.


 

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