Crime down 2.7% in first half of 2018

City police see decline in violent crimes so far this year

Although Peterborough’s crime rate increased by 2.7 per cent in the first half of 2018 compared to the first half of 2017, there’s been a decline in the more violent crimes.

At the Peterborough Police Services Board meeting on Wednesday night, Peterborough Police released the latest crime statistics.

They show 2,429 reported crimes between January and June, 2018. That’s compared to 2,366 between January and June, 2017.

That’s 63 more reported crimes, for an increase of 2.7 per cent.

Although it’s an overall increase, the report notes that the more serious crimes — such as homicides — are down.

“Violent crime continued to see a decline during the second quarter of 2018,” states the report. “Homicides, robberies, sexual assaults and assaults are all down compared to the first six months of 2017.”

The report doesn’t take in August, when there was a shooting death in the parking lot of Home Depot.

The report looks at specific areas where crime has increased:

• Fraud offenses increased from 129 to 184.

• Impaired driving offenses increased from 38 to 47.

• Heroin seizures increased from four to 11.

• Bail violations were at 193 (71 more incidents, likely due to a new system that requires police to release more people on condition).

Meanwhile there were other areas where crime decreased — and those were the more violent crimes:

• Assaults: 247 assaults (12 fewer incidents than during the first half of 2017).

• Sexual Assaults: 73 (13 fewer incidents than in the first half of 2017).

• Robberies: 9 victims (16 fewer victims).