Violent crime is down in Winnipeg, according to a report from the Winnipeg Police Service. The December cold snap may have played a role as the best weapon against crime.
The Winnipeg Police Service says fourth-quarter results show a 13.4 per cent drop in overall crime compared to this time last year.
Deputy Chief Dave Thorne says cold weather tends to keep criminals at bay. Thorne also dispelled the myth of “cabin fever crime.”
“I think what we see with cold weather is people tend to stay inside more,” he said.
“I know when I’ve made that comment before they say, ‘Don’t they get cabin fever and get a little more antsy with each other and perhaps that type of activity, the violence, occurs indoors as opposed to outdoors?’ We find that’s not the case. Not to say that it doesn’t happen, but certainly, we do see a drop with the cold weather.”
Thorne says an increase in sexual assaults was attributed to domestic situations, and an increase in attempted murders was blamed on the city's inter-gang warfare.
