| durhamregion.com | This Week | Thursday, December 1, 2022 | 18 WE WILL SOLVE THE PROBLEM! www.noleaks.ca 905-686-6880 Crawford & Sons offers fast, neat, efficient service and a free professional evaluation For more information, call Gordon at (905) 686-6880 With over 40 yrs experience 10 year warranty! Free eStimateS! professional and courteous service Water can damage anything it comes across, including carpets, flooring, furniture, drywall, electronics and more. at the first sign of water entering your basement, it's time to call the experts. trying to repair it yourself can lead to delays and more damage being done. You want to work with professionals who will repair your basement leak right the first time. Fixing Basement Leaks Right The First Time Your Donation will Make a Difference in the Community this Holiday Season! Meals on Wheels Community Food Box Adult Day Program COPE Mental Health Program And so much more! Help Support: Make an Impact Today! Donate Online or by Phone: communitycaredurham.on.ca/donate 905-668-6223 ext. 264 Violent crime is on the rise in Durham region in 2022, with homicides reaching an all-time high, according to statistics reviewed Tuesday, Nov. 15 by the police services board. Sexual assaults and simple assaults are driving violent crime rates, which are up 16 per cent in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, according to the stats. Meanwhile, vehicle thefts also continue to show an upward trend, Chief Todd Rollauer said in an address to the board. "Violent crime continues to be an upward trend," Rollauer said. Statistics indicate a one per cent increase in overall calls for service in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period last year, with 84 more emergency calls in 2022 (a one per cent increase) and 2,273 more urgent calls than in 2021 (a nine per cent increase). Violent crime stats showed a sharp increase for Q3 of 2022 over 2021, with 3,722 such incidents in the period this year compared to 3,197 in Q3 of 2021. That's an increase of 525 such incidents for the reporting period, a hike of 16 per cent. The violent crime numbers are "driven by an increase in sexual assaults, simple assault and threatening," notes in the report explained. Rollauer, meanwhile, highlighted a number of violent incidents investigated by police, including: • The stabbing of a 78-year-old man during a robbery Oct. 27 near a Whitby motel • The Nov. 4 killing of a 56-year-old man at a residence in Pickering, and • An incident in Oshawa over the weekend during which an eight-year-old child was killed in what police have deemed a murder-suicide. The report notes property crime, including vehicle thefts, was up by 795 incidents in Q3 for 2022 over the same period in 2021, a nine per cent increase. Auto thefts are a standout stat, Rollauer noted, telling the board that as of the end of October 2022, there have been 814 such incidents, and increase of 211 over the same period in 2021. In October alone, 113 vehicle thefts were reported, Rollauer said. Meanwhile calls classified as routine were down three per cent in Q3 for 2022, the report indicates. The report also notes that "check on well-being" requests are the largest single call category. In addition, the time officers spend at the scene of calls is increasing, according to the numbers. VIOLENT CRIME, CAR THEFTS UP IN DURHAM THIS YEAR Violent crime is on the rise in Durham Region this year, according to statistics presented Nov. 15 to the regional police services board. This graph indicates reported incidents in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in recent years. Durham Regional Police graphic JEFF MITCHELL jmitchell@ durhamregion.com NEWS HOMICIDES HAVE REACHED AN ALL-TIME HIGH IN DURHAM REGION IN 2022