Police Welcome Citizen’s Help In Battling Petty Crimes
We ask the MJPS and Board of Police Commissioners About Petty Crimes After A Recent FOI
By Robert Thomas
It takes a community to help fight against crime. And that also includes petty crimes as well says Moose Jaw’s Chief of Police.
During a scrum following the public portion of Wednesday afternoon’s Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners MJ Independent asked the city’s Chief of Police Robert Davis about the petty crime problem. Chief Davis said the public’s help to identify parking meter thieves and vandals.
The questions were asked in relation to a Freedom of Information request that found in the last five years the City has been targeted hundreds of times by criminals.
“It’s very important it helps us get a better picture, through analysis of the data, what we’re dealing with in the city,” Chief Davis said.
Smaller crimes may seem petty to some people but to other people it is a big thing he said.
Additionally there may be ties to other criminal activities from a petty crime.
“You never know what may seem to be a smaller crime is tied to a bigger crime,” Chief Davis said.
Vandalized parking meters dot the downtown - MJ Independent photo
In a Freedom Of Information Asked about the effect of hundreds of petty crimes committed against the City and the lack of evidence they were ever reported Deputy Chief Rick Johns said it affects investigations.
“By them not reporting it, it doesn’t allow us a timely response when it’s happening or shortly after. It doesn’t allow our officers to get there in a timely manner…secondly if they go unreported if we do get a suspect in one matter and it hasn’t been reported to us in other situations we might not be able to make linkages (between crimes),” the Deputy Chief said.
He gave the example of catching someone being caught for damaging a parking meter on Athabasca Street West and then having an additional meter damaged the same night on Fairford Street the police were not aware of then the police would not have the linkage to deal with both crimes.
The FOI found there were 479 parking meters, 334 incidents of graffiti on City owned property, 149 crimes in green spaces and 21 stolen traffic signs over a five year period.
The damages and lost revenues total into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Chair of the Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners and Mayor James Murdock asked the public to be proactive to fight crime.
“If you see a crime call it in. That just makes common sense,” Commissioner Murdock said, adding “Just for an example if there was a parking meter being vandalized on the 0 block of Stadacone just a couple of weeks ago, a witness, a citizen saw it happen took a video and sent it to the police service and that individual was arrested the next day.”
Screenshot of a video sent to the Moose Jaw Police Service - MJPS Handout
The individual arrested had already previously been charged in vandalizing parking meters.
“It’s just being aware of our surroundings and what’s going on,” he said. “If people do that that’s how you achieve a safer community.”
Asked about his position as Mayor requesting citizens to report but the City not reporting all incidents he said it was something he was going to look in to.
“It’s a good point. Everybody has to be on the same page. With everyone working together we’ll get there.”
Chief Davis said the photo quality people were getting on their phones was unbelievable but the police needed photos or videos of the perpetrator(s) - their face if possible and what they are wearing - and not just the vandalized parking meter alone.
“You don’t need to put yourself in harm’s way. You can be 100 meters away and a really clear vivid picture…if the public wants to help us great pictures can be taken from a very safe distance.”