WRPS Chief says of recent violence, ‘It’s a human being, it’s a family’
Posted Feb 4, 2026 04:24:29 AM.
Last Updated Feb 4, 2026 09:39:51 AM.
The Chief of the Waterloo Regional Police Service says of violent crimes that started in 2026, “we can’t be complacent.”
Chief Mark Crowell spoke on The Mike Farwell Show, commenting on a fatal stabbing in Kitchener from Jan. 23 and a shooting in downtown Kitchener from Jan. 28.
Crowell said, “Every time we have an act of violence — a homicide, a shooting, stabbing, whatever it is — we can’t just look at it as a statistic. It’s a human being, it’s a family, it’s a neighbourhood impacted.”
The chief said when it comes to violent crime suppression, “gun violence, acts of violence such as this are our top priorities.”
He added, “We’ve learned a lot, we’ve made some good strides in addressing these issues of the highest levels of violence.”
Crowell praised the support investigators have received from the public for both crimes, calling that response “robust and appropriate.”
A Kitchener man is facing a second-degree murder charge for the Jan. 23 stabbing that occurred at a home in the area of Garden Path Place and Country Stone Crescent.
There’s been no word yet though of any suspects or arrests for the Jan. 28 shooting in the King Street East and Scott Street area.
