Pandemic year sees shifts in some Winnipeg crime stats: report

The latest statistical study from the Winnipeg Police Service shows immoderate melodramatic shifts successful transgression stats implicit 2020 arsenic the COVID-19 pandemic raged done 3 waves.

One of the bigger shifts was a alteration successful calls to the communications centre by six per cent, but well-being calls accrued by 12 per cent.

“While COVID-19 mightiness beryllium a causal origin successful these changes, it volition apt beryllium different twelvemonth earlier we spot the afloat effects of the pandemic connected constabulary operations,” said constabulary main Danny Smyth.

The closure of stores and businesses means determination was a alteration successful theft and shoplifting, particularly astir liquor stores, arsenic MLL accrued information and implemented caller ID measures to forestall swarms of radical from simply walking disconnected with ample amounts of liquor.

Property crimes were down by 14 per cent compared to 2019, according to the report, but up 11 per cent implicit the five-year average.

In total, each crimes are down astir 10 per cent.

Drug crimes, however, went up 13 per cent, arsenic did postulation crimes specified arsenic unsafe driving.

“There was a humble alteration successful convulsive crimes, driven chiefly by a simplification successful each robberies,” Smyth said.

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“However, the fig of homicides was rather precocious for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row. I bash enactment immoderate origin for interest regarding the summation successful battle with a limb offences, and successful particular, the fig of knife-related events.”

Youth transgression was besides down significantly, but for aggravated and intersexual assaults, which saw an summation of 18 per cent and 76 per cent, respectively.

The younker transgression trend, however, is down from 2,513 cases successful 2015 to 1,370 successful 2020.

Read the afloat report:

The WPS presently has 1,917 constabulary and civilian members. Of those constabulary officers, 11 per cent are Indigenous, and 8 per cent are made up of disposable minorities.

For civilians and cadets, 9.5 are Indigenous, portion 12.8 are disposable minorities.

“As a constabulary service, we strive to person a workforce that is reflective of the assemblage we serve. Throughout the pandemic, we made the astir of the resources we had, providing a balanced and strategical attack to negociate a challenging environment,” Smyth said.