The City of Castlegar saw a rise in break-and-enters, impaired driving, and sexual offences in 2024, according to the Castlegar RCMP’s year-end report.
“It remains our priority to work closely with community partners, elected officials, and various agencies to address these emerging crime trends, support our citizens, and ensure Castlegar remains a safe place to live and work,” said Detachment Commander Sgt. Monty Taylor.
Calls for service
The detachment continued to see an overall decrease in the number of calls for service last year, dropping from 3,915 in 2023 to 3,711 in 2024.
Total Criminal Code files were down to 947 by the end of 2024, compared to 1,074 at the end of 2023.
Assaults also dropped from 117 to 87, and robberies from two to one.
However, Taylor notes that the detachment saw an increase in sexual offences, which rose from 17 to 24, and break-and-enters, which increased from 26 to 31.
The rise in sexual assault-related complaints is attributed to an increase in calls reporting explicit online and digital messages being shared without consent.
Noticing this trend, the detachment and Police-Based Victim Services secured funding to deliver presentations in schools in October. These sessions educated youth in grades 4 to 12 about online safety, legislation surrounding the sharing of intimate images, and the consequences of such actions.
Impaired driving
Impaired driving offences rose from 72 in 2023 to 141 in 2024, a statistic attributed to officers dedicating more time to proactive enforcement.
This rise also contributed to an increase in files involving alcohol and drugs, which climbed to 409 from 281 in 2023.
The remaining increase in files involving alcohol and drugs is linked to changes in drug possession laws enacted last year. Amendments made to restrict drug use in public places have been successful in reducing public drug use and enabling police to address related complaints and concerns.
Repeat offenders
Like Trail RCMP Sgt. Mike Wicentowich, Sgt. Taylor expressed concern about the number of individuals failing to attend their court dates last year.
Police routinely arrest individuals who fail to appear for court, which places a significant burden on officers and contributes to the perception of a revolving-door justice system.
In some cases, individuals commit additional crimes while out on bail.
Taylor explained that bail hearings, previously held at the courthouse, are now regularly conducted within the detachment’s cell blocks, creating resource pressures for officers and administrative staff.
This process was previously handled at the courthouse by BC Sheriffs.
Taylor noted that in most cases, BC Prosecution Services present matters before the court, and individuals are released back into the public—even those with multiple missed court appearances or new offences.
For instance, in a 2019 incident still before the Castlegar courts, an individual failed to attend their court date.
Over the past five years, this person has had 12 warrants issued for their arrest related to the initial incident due to repeated failures to attend court and ongoing criminal activity. These warrants, combined with others for separate incidents, total approximately 20 warrants over five years.
Taylor stated that the individual is once again at large with a warrant for their arrest, and police continue their efforts to locate and bring them before the courts.
2025 priorities
Every year, Castlegar RCMP identifies priorities in the community based on crime trends and feedback from residents and elected officials.
This year, the priorities regarding crime and victimization are:
- Traffic Safety
- Substance Abuse
- Reducing Property Crime
- Reducing Mental Health Calls
- Public Education and Awareness
You can read Taylor’s full report here.
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