RCMP crime analysts could be factor in falling P.E.I. crime rate

RCMP on P.E.I. say one of the reasons for a recent big drop in crime on the Island may be the training of five crime analysts.

• P.E.I. crime rate sees sharp drop in recent years

Statistics Canada released crime statistics for 2015 this week. They show while the crime rate was up in the country as a whole, it fell significantly in 2015. Since 2012, incidents of Criminal Code violations, excluding traffic, have fallen 36 per cent.

RCMP Staff Sgt. Kevin Baillie said in recent years RCMP have trained crime analysts to track crimes in communities across P.E.I. to look for similarities, and that could be a factor in the dropping rate.

"By compiling that data we can look at problem areas and target them," said Baillie.

"Also a lot of the crimes are being committed by a small group of individuals, and we can target those individuals and use our resources more efficiently,"

Baillie said those analysts review large numbers of files every week, looking at similar methods of committing crimes and those convicted in the past for those types of offenses.

Baillie said because P.E.I. doesn't have a large number of transient criminals it can be easier to track down those who may be responsible.

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