The Saskatoon Police Service has released the 2023 Business Plan Mid-Year Update, which includes this year’s crime statistics so far compared to the first half of 2022 and the five-year average.

According to numbers from the first six months of the year, 11 out of 13 categories of property crimes need improvement, and the other two show no significant changes.
For example, percentages have shot up with arson, with 86 recorded crimes compared to 51 in 2022, up 68.6 per cent. Another property crime on the rise is theft under $5000, with 4,022 cases recorded, up from 3,280 in the first half of 2022. Graffiti also showed an increased prevalence of 54.8 per cent from last year, however those 178 cases are down from the five-year average of 201. The two crimes that showed no change year over year are non-residential break and enters and motor vehicle thefts, with only 0.6 and 2.1 per cent deviations from last year, respectively.

On the bright side, prevalence of several violent crimes is showing improvement since last year. Kidnapping and abduction numbers are down from 42 in the first half of 2022 to 24 in the first six months of this year, a 35.7 per cent decrease. Harassment and stalking saw a 30.8 per cent decrease, from 104 accounts in the first half of last year to 74 in 2023 so far. However, some violent crime statistics still need improvement. For example, robberies are up 25.5 per cent from 55 to 69. Sexual violations have increased as well, from 212 cases as of June 2022 to 267 this year, a 25.9 per cent increase.

Several types of fraudulent activity are on the rise in Saskatoon. Counterfeiting currency charges are up 111.1 per cent, at 19 up from 9 in the first half of last year. There have been 291 internet scam charges so far in 2023, compared to 254 as of June 2022. This year’s internet scam numbers are up 56.5 per cent from the five-year average. However, identity theft charges are down 32.2 per cent from last year, with 40 cases compared to 59. There was also a decreased in people fraudulently obtaining transport, down from 17 to 14.