RCMP see rise in sex crimes against New Brunswick children

Crimesofsexual interference, exploitation and luring over the Internet are up in New Brunswick

The RCMPannual report for 2014-15 shows a 15 per cent increase over 2013 for those crimes.

Roger Brown,RCMPassistant commissionerinNew Brunswick, saidinternet crime, whether it involves sex crimes or fraud,will continueto be a "growth area"in years to come.

"I don't think police have had the tools, I don't think we've had the time, the expertise with respect to technology to really zero in on those crimes."

There's a 40 per cent increase in child exploitation-related offences.

Speaking to Information Morning Fredericton, Brown said it's an area where all policing organizations must work together.

"Once you start focusing on something like child internet exploitation, you're going to see an increase in charges and you're going to see an increase in investigations."

Another area of increase is in impaireddriving,with an eight per cent increase.

Brown said over 30 per cent of the fatalities in 2014 were preventable, because "they either had no seatbelt or impaired. That's just crazy. There's absolutely no reason for that."

Brown said police alone can't put a stop to that.

"Enforcement is not 100 per cent successful."

Brown said the judicial and education systems also have an important role to play.

The RCMP annual report also had some good news. Property crime was down in 2014 and there was a decrease in youth violations for the sixth straight year.