Regina's rate of reported crime up 11% in 2018, driven by spike in car theft: police

Regina's overall rate of reported crime rose by 11 per cent in 2018, driven by a spike in auto thefts, the city's police service says.

Auto thefts rose 52 per cent last year over the year before — jumping from 920 incidents in 2017 to 1,394 in 2018 — according to a Regina Police Service year-end report on monthly crime statistics, delivered at Wednesday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting.

That contributed to a 10.9 per cent increase in the total reported crimes against people and property from 2017 to 2018. Total reported incidents were 18,419 in 2018, up from 16,616 the year previous, police said.

Regina police Chief Evan Bray said the cause behind the increase in auto thefts is the same for other property and violent crime.

"Those are the big three you hear me talking about: guns, gangs, and drugs," Bray said.

"That is driving the crime rate in our city, for sure. One of those factors is quite often present in the serious crimes that we have, and even the property crimes, like theft of autos."

Police say that those stolen vehicles are often used in other criminal activities, and many cars stolen in the city are unlocked and running, with keys in the ignition.

Bray said he understood that people often leave their cars unlocked and running during the winter months.

"We've had ungodly cold weather," he said, but urged people to gets steering wheel locking devices, or a second set of keys to lock and unlock cars while they are warming up.

"Ultimately it's not about blaming the victim, because we will continue to arrest and hold the offenders accountable, I can guarantee you that. And we do a very good job of that," Bray said.

"But there's things that people can do to lower the likelihood that their car or vehicle is going to be stolen."

In addition to arresting and charging people who steal cars, Bray said that consideration must be paid to why people are stealing in the first place.

"It's not just about joyriding, it's about using them in the commission of an offence. Why are they committing offences? Maybe it's to fuel an addiction," he said.

"How can we help deal with those addictions? If we deal with the addictions they don't have the need to steal a car to commit crime."

Rewards extended

At Wednesday's meeting, the board of commissioners approved a proposal to extend a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the killing of Abdisalam Nur until the end of the year.

Nur was found dead in Regina on Aug. 5, 2016. Police say the Edmonton man was part of a violent drug organization, but the investigation into his death turned cold. 

This is one of three cash rewards currently offered by the RPS. There is a $50,000 reward for information in the 2004 disappearance of Tamra Keepness, and a $50,000 reward for information in the 2010 triple murder of Gray Nay Htoo, his wife, Maw Maw, and his son, Seven June.