Crime stats in city continue to shrink during pandemic

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic appears to have an ongoing impact on keeping crime down, according to the latest statistics released Thursday during a Windsor Police Services Board meeting.

There were 1,281 criminal code violations recorded by police for October in Windsor. That number is 389 fewer crimes reported for the same month a year ago — a 23-percent decrease.

The total also represents a decrease of 44 crimes — or 3.3 per cent from the previous month.

Violent crime numbers in Windsor are also down, with 179 such incidents reported for October, a decrease of 44 incidents compared to the same month a year ago. There were no local homicides in October. There were 35 domestic assaults reported last month — a drop of 11 compared to October of last year.

“We believe there are two things as to why it's a good-news story,” Deputy Chief Jason Bellaire said Thursday following the meeting. “The pandemic has definitely impacted our crime stats. Our calls for service have gone down eight to 15 per cent on any given month. You can equate those reduced calls for service to reduced crime.

“I also believe we were gaining a lot of traction leading up to the pandemic. We had launched a lot of community groups and neighbourhood safety and security strategies. I also believe they have contributed to the reduction in crime stats.”

Exactly how much of a difference those neighbourhood efforts have made has been difficult to define due to the pandemic, he said. “But I really feel they have had some impact and that's part of the (crime) reduction,” Bellaire said.