Criminals are causing conflict in the Peace region, according to the RCMP’s update, which reported a 90 per cent increase in drug possession and trafficking charges this year when compared to last.
The Mounties’ update was provided to the Peace River Regional District ahead of their recent meeting and summarized criminal activities in Dawson Creek and its surrounding areas for the year until the end of July.
They said they counted any “calls for service combined with proactive investigations, enforcement, and education measures” in their data.
Notable increases in criminal activity in the report included a 15 per cent increase in assault cases. This number includes the more severe aggravated charge and assaults involving weapons. Cases rose from 120 last year to 138.
There were 19 cases of people possessing, or selling, drugs in the south Peace, compared to 10 in 2024. There were also 38 additional instances of people driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol this year.
Theft charges, including over $5,000, under $5,000, and shoplifting, saw a steep increase of 24 per cent. There were 226 calls made to the police this year regarding these forms of theft.
Car thefts, break and enters, and calls “not related to any ‘offence’ such a suspicious (occurrences)” all decreased this year, according to police.
Breaking and entering into businesses was especially less common, with 12 cases in 2025 – two of which were in July. Last year, the region saw 33 cases in the same period.
The RCMP also said the number of calls remained steady, though there was a difference in callers’ locations.
“The total file count remains similar from year to year, the calls for service in the city are increasing and the rural calls for service are decreasing,” they told the board in their report.
Officers said of the 4,897 calls they received, only 925 were from the rural areas surrounding Dawson Creek. These rural areas include the village of Pouce Coupe, which has over 750 residents.
