Speeding incidents up, graffiti incidents down in Okotoks in 2023

Okotoks town council was presented with the Okotoks Municipal Enforcement 2023 Annual Report at their Monday (March 11) meeting.

The report provides information on local municipal enforcement operations across last year, including milestones like five officers having joined the team, results from the RCMP Radio Communications Pilot Project, and statistics on the complaints and incidents they responded to.

Among the data presented were statistics on the number of speeding incidents addressed by local peace officers in 2023 compared to 2022.

It shows a 34 per cent increase in incidents year over year, with 1151 in 2023 compared to 856 in 2022.

Of those, 1060 were general speeding incidents, with 91 speeding incidents in school zones.

The number of tickets issued in 2023 total was 1151, with 711 having been issued in 2022.

A total of 291 warnings were given, compared to 145 in 2022.

Statistics were provided for the total number of speeding complaints investigated, with 1840 total, a 23 per cent increase from 2022.

Officer-generated reports saw a dip from the year prior, with 138, representing 9 per cent less than 2022.

The report also provides some information on graffiti incidents, which saw a sharp increase in 2022.

"Across 2023, OME officers diligently investigated graffiti files," reads the report, " and were instrumental in identifying perpetrators who were subsequently charged or assigned community service restitution. Complaints data comparing 2023 to 2022 showcases a reduction in graffiti complaints."

A graph displaying the number of graffiti complaints in 2023 compared to the year prior shows that complaints peaked in August in both years, though with only around half as many complaints during that month in 2023.

The report, as well as a replay of the council meeting, can be seen on the Town of Okotoks website.