Regional crime numbers on the rise but WRPS not pushing panic button
Posted Oct 5, 2016 05:20:45 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Crime is on the rise in Waterloo Region.
Regional police say robberies are up twenty-seven per cent, property crime is up ten per cent, and vehicle thefts are up thirty per cent. The 2015 non-violent crime severity index increased 7.8 per cent.
The numbers were discussed today at a monthly Police Service Board meeting at police headquarters.
The most concerning stat according to Police Chief Bryan Larkin is vehicle theft. Not only is it on the rise, but thirty percent is a lot. Larkin tells 570 News it could be because of the region’s proximity to the 401 and the US border. “Auto thefts are becoming increasingly targeted and it’s not your average joyride. Cars can be moved across Canada and countries within a day or two.”
One category that’s on the decrease is attempted murder. It dropped from 7 to 2 percent from 2014.
Other topics on the agenda included the service’s pro-active stance on use of force techniques. One of the things they’ve done is add a new piece of equipment to their duty belt. It’s called a conductive electricity weapon or C.E.W. for short but officers don’t use it as a weapon. It’s part of a strategic plan to de-escalate the complex situation an officer faces when dealing face-to-face with a confrontational individual.
Larkin says the bright-yellow neon Taser creates dialogue between the officers and individual so they know the cops’ first choice for a weapon isn’t a gun, but the Taser-like device. “The simple appearance of the CEW changes the outcome of the interaction with the individual and that’s what we want to see.”
