Winnipeg Police release annual report of city crime
The number of total crimes in Winnipeg declined 10 per cent during the first year of the pandemic compared to 2019, according to the Winnipeg Police Service’s annual statistical report.
The report, released Tuesday by the WPS, shows the number of violent crimes dropped three per cent and property crimes were down nearly 14 per cent in 2020 compared to the previous year.
Winnipeg recorded 42 homicides in 2020, down 4.5 per cent compared to 2019 when the city hit a grim record of 44 homicides in one year.
Danny Smyth, chief of the Winnipeg Police Service, is scheduled to address the report in interviews with media outlets, including CTV News Winnipeg, on Tuesday afternoon.
Smyth said in a prepared statement Tuesday morning the modest decrease in violent crimes was driven primarily by a reduction in robberies.
“However, the number of homicides was quite high for the second year in a row,” Smyth’s statement reads. “I do note some cause for concern regarding the increase in assault with a weapon offences, and in particular, the number of knife-related events.”
The homicide rate for Indigenous people in Canada is seven times higher compared non-Indigenous people, according to new numbers released in a separate report by Statistics Canada. The agency said a history of colonization, including residential schools, work camps and forced relocation has profoundly affected Indigenous communities and families.
“As a result, many Indigenous peoples experience challenging social and economic circumstances,” Statistics Canada said in a report on police-reported crimes. “These factors play a significant role in the over-representation of Indigenous peoples in the criminal justice system and as victims of crime.”
Police across Canada reported 201 Indigenous people died in homicides in 2020, up 22 compared to 2019. Two-thirds (62 per cent) were identified by police as First Nations people.
Smyth said COVID-19 is a factor in this year’s crime statistics in Winnipeg, but he added it will likely be another year before the police service will be able to see the full effects of the pandemic on its operations.
“Property crime was significantly reduced compared to the previous year, with fewer reports of break & enter, shoplifting and theft under $5,000 being reported,” Smyth said in the statement. “There was a dramatic decrease in the number of liquor store thefts, primarily driven by the implementation of security protocols by the Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries.”
Smyth said calls to the police communications centre fell by almost six per cent but he said the total number of calls dispatched increased. Of those, he said the number of check well-being calls increased by 12 per cent, surpassing domestic violence as the top reason why police are dispatched in the community.
According to Statistics Canada, Winnipeg had the second-highest crime severity index of big Canadian cities (116.3, down 12 per cent from 2019) in 2020, behind only Lethbridge (138.7, down three per cent from 2019).
The crime severity index measures the volume and severity of crimes reported to police.
Statistics Canada found the crime severity index across Canada went down 7.9 per cent in 2020 due to stay-at-home orders and public health restrictions, with the exception of hate crimes which increased 37 per cent during the first year of the pandemic.
The number of police-reported hate crimes in Canada went from 1951 incidents in 2019 to 2669 in 2020 marking the largest number of police-reported hate crimes since comparable data became available in 2009.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.