RCMP presence increases in Steinbach

Steinbach residents will notice a more visible RCMP presence in the community, according to Staff Sgt. Mike Maxwell who presented their annual report to city council on Tuesday.

He said they are fully staffed, something that has not been true in the community for years.

Staffing challenges impact how people see police since the local traffic unit was not present at all times.

The policing report dated, Sept. 15, showed that calls for service this year total 4,716. That’s on pace with recent years that had year-end totals ranging from a low of 6,365 in both 2022 and 2025 and a high of 6,949 posted in 2021 at the municipal level.

Rural calls for service are currently at 2,812. Last year boasted a five-year low of 4,978, while 2021 featured over 7,000 calls for service.

Maxwell said Steinbach brings unique challenges to policing as it’s the largest city policed by the RCMP in Manitoba.

He also went over some specific statistics, pointing out that calls regarding the mental health act have already totaled 311 to date.

“The police spend a lot of time working with partner agencies for mental health crises,” he said.

Other changes were noted from year to year.

“We went from 78 reported break and enter files to 91, but we reduced arsons from 11 to two,” he said.

Wellbeing checks also increased, but Maxwell told council the number captures the calls, but not the number of individuals being checked on.

“We can get many calls about a few people,” he said. “It’s increased a lot, but it’s a lot of us checking the same people over and over.”

Maxwell also shared changes to the crime severity index.

For Steinbach, increases included invitation to sexual touching, methamphetamines trafficking, other drug trafficking, production or distribution of child sex abuse material and theft under $5,000.

Decreases were noted in breaking and entering, discharge of a firearm with intent, fraud, attempted murder and luring a child with a computer.

Increases in the rural area were found in dangerous operation causing death, luring a child with a computer, sexual assault, sexual interference and theft over $5,000.

Rural decreases included breaking and entering, production or distribution of child sex abuse material, cocaine trafficking, possession of weapons and discharging a firearm with intent.

Maxwell said having a full staff has allowed them to focus more on traffic. When staffing is short, he said, because all calls are triaged, it’s often routine traffic patrol that simply doesn’t happen.

On Sept. 11, Steinbach RCMP and Steinbach community safety officers conducted a joint operation on Main Street.

It resulted in six speeding tickets, two careless driving charges, two vehicles towed, and two serious offence notices with licence suspensions.

“With so many offences in a short amount of time, we want to remind drivers to slow down and remember that you share the road with others,” RCMP said on Facebook after the crackdown. “We all want to get home safely.”