There were three times more homicides in Prince George in 2010 compared to the previous year, according to police statistics released Monday.
The city's RCMP investigated nine homicides last year - seven within the municipal boundaries and two in the rural surrounding area - up from three homicides in 2009.
"Of the nine homicides in the Prince George area this past year, charges have been laid in five of them and we are hopeful for more," said Prince George RCMP spokesman Cpl. Craig Douglass.
Commanding RCMP officer Supt. Brenda Butterworth-Carr said Monday this number is concerning, as most are connected in some way to gang activity, but local police would have seen even more were it not for proactive policing.
"We have to tell the intended target what we know," she said, when information is obtained that a particular person faces a threat to their lives. That was done and she felt it saved some people from harm, in the past year.
Nine is high for Prince George, but not a record. Ten is the highest number in a given year, a level reached in the early 1990s.
Reports of sexual assaults also increased in 2010 compared to the year before.
Police were concerned that the number of sexual assault files rose by 18 per cent in 2010. However it's encouraging that so many victims - 94 - made the call to police this past year, said Butterworth-Carr.
"It takes a tremendous amount of courage to come forward," she said.
Homicide cases in 2010 with suspects charged:
- Owen Thompson*
- Darren Hala*
- Samuel Auger
- Sylvain Roy
- Nathan Marshall
Homicide cases in 2010 with no charges yet laid:
- Tyrone Thomas
- Darren Munch
- Cynthia Maas
- Linda Fredin
*victims located outside city limits
