Regional police annual report shows drop in shootings, homicides in 2023

Waterloo Regional Police have released new numbers on how much crime was investigated across the region in 2023.

According to the report, there were 18 shooting investigations across the region, showing a 28 per cent decrease compared to 2022 which had 25. Kitchener saw the most shootings with 11, followed by four in Cambridge and three in Waterloo.

The number of homicides went down as well, with five homicides and three attempted homicides leading to four arrests and 14 charges being laid. Police spent 6,515 hours investigating those homicides. In 2022, there were eight homicides and five attempted homicides.

The intimate partner violence unit responded to over 6,200 calls, with 3,788 charges being laid. The highlight comes after regional council and multiple cities declared intimate partner violence an epidemic last year. The early intervention program also helped 436 people across the region.

The drugs and firearms unit seized 695 firearms and weapons last year, as well as 2.7 million dollars worth of drugs, resulting in 184 charges being laid and 37 people arrested.

The cybercrime unit had 11 investigations and 400 internet child exploitation cases, resulting in 107 charges and 1,059 devices being seized and analyzed.

The traffic unit issued over 23,000 road safety charges, including 5,547 for speeding, 939 for impaired driving and 354 for distracted driving.

The full 77-page report can be found here.