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CRIME DAVID LEA dlea@metroland.com Many things in Halton are returning to normal following the height of the pandemic. Unfortunately, _ eee crime. is the explanation aitun Police Chief Ste- phen Tanner provided fol- lowing a significant in- crease in criminal activity within the region during the first six months of 2022. The concerning s statis- tics were discussed during a recent meeting o the Halton Police Board. report presented to the | board noted that be- n January and June there were 7,081 criminal offences reported in Hal- ton. This is 1,769 more inci- dents than were reported during the same period in 2021, and represents a crime rate increase of 30.5 ‘The Only Family Owned & Operated ‘Retirement Home In Halton Hills. Encouraging So Physical & Mental Wellbeing www. per cent when regional population growth is tak- en into account. iolent crime offences (e.g., robberies, assaults, etc.) increased by 38.7 per cent from 968 incidents be: tween January and Jun 2021 to 1,343 incidents dur. ing the same period in y 8 property crime (e.g., thefts, break-ins, mis- chief, fraud, etc.) in- creased 40.2 per cent from 3,373 incidents in 2021 to 4, 7a incidents i in 2022, also reported a lower case clearance rate — of 43.1 per cent — for the first six months of 2022, compared to 45.7 per cent during the same period in 2021. ‘he report noted motor vehicle collisions are also n the rise, with 4,052 re- ported in 2022 compared to 2,378 during the same peri- od in 2021. This represents an in- crease of 70.8 per cent. Collisions involving property damage are also up 73.8 per cent while colli- sions resulting t in injuries are up 49.3 per cent. Fatal collisions de- clined from four in 2021 to three in 2022. Impaired driving ap- prehensions are also down from 232 in 2021 to 203 in ‘anner pointed out that crime took a divein Halton as a result of COVID- People staying in their homes meant fewer resi- dential break-ins and few- er reported assaults, while less people driving to work meant fewer vehicle colli- sions, he said. With life starting to re- turn to normal, Tanner ar- guedit should not bea sur- prise crime is going back Pe also said the clear- ance rate has stayed con- sistent, but its percentage TERRACE BY THE GLEN Lew You' RETIREMENT HOME 222 Mountainview Road North, Georgetown 905-877-1800 now it’s our pleasure to make this the best time of your life in a family, friendly atmosphere. Our residents enjoy weekly housekeeping, social meals & activities to support their independent lifestyle. ORCA e.com Graham Paine/ Metroland Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner discussed the rise in crime during the recent police board meeting. changed as the crime rate changed. _ 'y Chief Roger Wilkie noted Halton's pop- ulation has also grown over the pandemic years, which also means more crime. Tanner said he expects to see the same trends in all other jurisdictions. “We're certainly satis- fied with the numbers," said Tanner. "We are still the safest large municipal- ity in Canada year after year. We expect to stay there." The chief said context is important and noted that recently released data from Statistics Canada in- dicates the Halton 2021 crime rate was lower than (NJ@® Payments Ne Interest tok 12 MONTHS RREESUN CUCL IRREER Culm cael old equipment CEREES MI CIET ail HALTON SEES 30.5 PER CENT CRIME JUMP IN FIRST HALF OF YEAR: every major police service in Ontario Tanner acknowledged [| that vehicle theft has gone 7 Zz up Significantly i in Halton. a said that while his <= officers have made multi- Zz0z ‘el 4eqo~0 cle manufacturers also need to play a role by mak- ing their vehicles less vul- nerable to theft, in partic- ular reprogramming Fa eft. The chief also pointed out the federal govern- ment has a role to play in stopping firearms from il- legally crossing the bor- der and into the waiting hands of criminals. Halton Police Board Chair Jeff Knoll called for a more detailed break- down of what crimes are on the increase. That data will be sented at a future meeting. Money Down TRADE-IN AND RECEIVE 5 Mountainview Rd N, Georgetown (905) 877-6242 com B&% info@cullig Goorlby sualeco WaT *5 ctions apply. Please ask your Cull Re details. Lir an; ffer, dealer participation varies. Based on OAC and terms. “Fist 3 months. eordyouy