BY CARLA ALLEN

The Coast Guard

NovaNewsNow.com

Reports of sexual assaults in Barrington are up from a year ago, however the commander for the Barrington RCMP detachment says the numbers don’t necessarily imply an actual increase.

Sgt. Barry Mooney fielded questions from MoB councillors on June 11 after he gave a report on RCMP activity for April and May.

Four sexual assaults were recorded last April compared to one in 2006.

“With sexual assaults, a lot of them are historical,” explained Mooney.

“People wait for long periods of time before they come forward and the assaults usually have to do with alcohol. There’s a lot of fighting going on out there and lots of times we don’t get called. People look after it themselves. There are times when we encourage people to come forward with a statement and we charge. I don’t think there’s an escalation in the crime, I think there’s an escalation in what’s being reported,” he said.

Other increases included:

Two incidences of counterfeit currency being turned in - one in April, one in May. There were none in 2006 April/May.

There were eight break and enters over the last two months opposed to three last April/May. Mooney explained these as being reported primarily by cottage owners who, upon returning to their cottages after months of being absent, discovered thefts.

Six reports of drug charges were filed over the past two months compared to one last year in the same time frame. Mooney says these are soft drug charges and that although the detachment has heard talk of hard drugs, no one has come forward with information.

There are also decreases in some categories when April/May 2007 is compared with April/May 2006: seven/14 harassment, 16/27 damage to property, 5/16 impaired driving, 13/26 911 Act, and 42/64 Provincial traffic/litter/trespass/inspections.