A new report on crime in Courtenay says that RCMP saw an increase in the number of violent crimes this spring.

The Comox Valley RCMP report for the period of April 1 to June 30 shows that police dealt with an increase in files on violent crime by 17 per cent. The report compares this period to the same period last year.

In the report, the most common violent crime in Courtenay 鈥� assault 鈥� grew in files by 24 per cent (from 104 to 129) compared to 2022. Harassment files were also up, while uttered threat cases were down.

Police also saw a trend of growing calls in the downtown area.

In downtown Courtenay, all 10 categories grew in RCMP鈥檚 list of top 10 鈥渕ost common call types.鈥� That meant an increase in the number of calls police received about unwanted persons, wellbeing checks, disturbances, theft, traffic incidents, suspicious circumstances, and more. The total calls for the top 10 issues grew by 68 per cent compared to last spring.

The most common location in all of Courtenay to get calls was at 685 Cliffe Ave. (the Connect Warming Centre). Police received 127 calls about the area between April 1 and June 30. The address at Superstore ranked second, with the address at North Island Hospital ranking third.

In terms of decreasing crime, several types were included.

Property crime across Courtenay decreased by nine per cent year-over-year. Drug possession offences decreased by 85 per cent, theft from vehicles was down 45 per cent, and the number of shoplifting files decreased by 23 per cent.

The Driftwood Mall area saw a decrease in calls for police, at 36 per cent fewer calls than last spring.

ALSO: Property crime in Courtenay鈥檚 downtown spiked in 2023 quarter