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10 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday January 17, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com Halton's crime rate drops, but violent crimes on the rise By Melanie Hennessey SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER While Halton's overall crime rate dropped in 2006, police say they saw a jump in the number of violent and property-related offences. That fact was among the projected year-end statistics presented to the Region's administration and finance & Make Your Home Comfort More Affordable LENNOX SALE CENTRAL AIR & FURNACE ® Up to $ 1000 Rebate *OAC * Instant 10 Years Parts & Labour Warranty * NO PAYMENT! Financing Available *Call for Details NO INTEREST! As Low As $ 3995 /month FOR 6 MONTHS AND O.A.C. committee last week by Halton Regional Police Chief Gary Crowell. He told councillors the number of criminal offences for last year dropped by 2.7 per cent -- from 15,934 in 2005 to 15,503 -- bringing the overall crime rate (incidents per 100,000 people) down by 5.4 per cent. "We are encouraged by the decrease in our crime rate, which appears to be a trend noted in other jurisdictions," Crowell said. "However, investigations are becoming very complex and time-consuming and court processes continue to be lengthy." He went on to tell the committee that violent crime went up by 9.1 per cent, jumping from 1,928 in 2005 to 2,103 in 2006 -- the majority of which were assaults and domestic assaults. "We are concerned about the increase in violent crime," he said. Councillors also learned that property crimes, like thefts, increased from 8,358 in 2005 to 8,900 last year, or by 6.5 per cent. In addition, Crowell showed a comparison of 2005 crime rates between Halton and other regions across the province. The numbers, collected by the Ontario Municipal CAO's Benchmarking Initiative, revealed that the region had 451 violent crimes and 1,955 property crimes committed per 100,000 people that year, while other areas had double that. "Halton has one of the lowest crime rates for violent and property crime," Crowell noted.+ While motor vehicle collisions saw an increase of 7.5 per cent in 2006 -- from 7,623 to 8,195 -- Crowell said the number of deaths in those collisions remained the same at 11. "That's down from our high of 20 in 2003," he noted. Calls for service also went up in 2006 to an estimated 105,864, compared to the 97,451 received in 2005. NO DUCTS · NO PROBLEM Save $350 on ductless air conditioners W E S T 7 locations to serve you better! 905-849-4998 www.aireone.com 1-888-827-2665 We Know MORTGAGES LOANS · LINE OF CREDIT "We specialize in hard to place mortgages" 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Mortgages Residential and Commercial Debt Consolidation Power of Sale Refinancing No Up Front Fees Up to 100% Financing O.A.C. Apartment Buildings and Construction Loans Self Employed and Discharged Bankrupts Buy, Sell and Arrange all Types of Mortgages Equity Financing - No Income Required Private Funds for Unqualified Bank Deals KINGSWAY INVESTMENTS LTD. Oakville Corporate Centre, 710 Dorval Drive, Suite 520, Oakville Effort Square, 105 Main Street East, Suite 1510, Hamilton Oakville 905-815-8400 · Hamilton 905-526-6300 Visit us for the Best Prices and Service In Timbits Hockey, learning to laugh and make friends goes hand in hand with developing the skills of the game. It's the perfect way to ensure young boys and girls get off to a good start in this great game. Tim Hortons is proud to support the over 50,000 kids who play Timbits Hockey ­ where fun rules. The first goal is having fun. "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" w w w. c o b b l e s t o n e m e m b e r s . c o m ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 905.337.2066 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE © Tim Hortons, 2006