The Port Moody Police Department has recently calculated our 2018 crime statistics. Additional information will be available in our Annual Report, due for release later this spring. For those interested in reviewing all of our past Annual Reports, they are currently available on our website at: https://portmoodypolice.ca/about/annual-report/.
Port Moody experienced an overall reduction in property crime, as rates dropped 11.50% over 2017 numbers. Of particular interest, residential break and enters dropped 43%. We believe that proactive uniformed patrols and investigations by the Community Action Team have contributed to this decrease.
One area of interest for our citizens is theft from automobiles. This statistic decreased by 7% in 2018, a contributing factor of which may be that residents are becoming more diligent in remembering to lock their car doors and remove valuables from their vehicles.
Mail theft dropped by 60%.
Bicycle thefts increased to 24 incidents in 2018. The Port Moody Police Department is embarking on a bicycle registration program and the finalization of this project will be announced at a later date.
In 2018 officers attended calls where mental health was noted to be a possible factor and apprehensions in this area increased by 8.3%. Our Mental Health Officer was often deployed in these situations to help establish long term solutions for people in crisis, providing support where needed and access to resources.
Traffic enforcement remained a Department priority in 2018 and approximately 4500 drivers received either a written warning or a violation ticket. This is a 35% increase over 2017 and many other drivers were stopped but received a verbal warning. Enforcement against impaired drivers also remained a focus of our patrol officers and 23% more impaired drivers were removed from the road.
On the topic of mobile technology, in 2018 the Port Moody Police Department observed a 45% increase in False or Abandoned 9-1-1 calls. Patrol officers observed that the most common factor they’ve noticed for these type calls was an increase in “pocket dialing.”
What’s the best thing to do if you’ve accidentally dialed 911?
1) Stay on the line and explain to the 9-1-1 dispatcher it was an accident
2) If you’ve hung up, please don’t be nervous, just answer our callback… we WILL call back! We understand that accidents do happen!
3) Stay where you are if asked, we promise to be quick! Sometimes our officers have to “personally” verify your safety, before we can move on to our next important call.
How to Avoid Unintended 9-1-1 Calls?
Following these simple tips from the Ecomm 911 website will help us save valuable resources, in the event there is a real emergency!
1) Protect your cellphone by locking and storing it carefully Keep it in a safe position when not in use and use a case or holster to protect it
2) Use your cellphone’s key lock to help prevent accidental calls
3) Don’t program 9-1-1 into any telephone — speed dials cause accidental 9-1-1 calls
4) Please do not test 9-1-1 to see if it’s working
Port Moody remains one of the safest cities in British Columbia. This is due in large part to both the diligence of our officers in investigating crime and the cooperation of Port Moody residents who help keep their community safe by reporting suspicious activity and generally being engaged with the Port Moody Police Department.
Released by
Cst. Jason Maschke
Community Relations Officer
Port Moody Police
www.portmoodypolice.com
Email: media@portmoodypolice.com
3051 St Johns Street
Port Moody, BC V3H 2C4
Office 604-461-3456
Fax: 604-937-1311