As a follow-up to today’s Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting, HRP and Halifax District RCMP are releasing the 2016 first quarter crime statistics. Overall, crime is up almost ten per cent when comparing the first quarter of 2016 to the same period in 2015.

Violent crime is down more than eight per cent, including decreases in assaults (-10.12 per cent) and robberies (-2.63 per cent). Property crime is up over 23 per cent with increases in break and enters (14.72 per cent), theft of motor vehicles (1.23 per cent), theft under $5,000 (73.68), theft over $5,000 (29.14 per cent) and frauds (18.27 per cent).

We are continuing to stay the course with our crime reduction strategy to address any violent crime. We will continue to focus on identifying areas with higher rates of crime (hot spots), deploying our Quick Response, Street Crime Units and Guns and Gangs Unit by targeting the criminal element and monitoring those who are on court imposed conditions. Officers will continue to be in close contact with the community in order to address crime as well as quality-of-life issues.

The 2016 first quarter stats are available at

http://www.halifax.ca/police/documents/HRMCombinedCrimeStats20161stQtr150421.pdf

Source: Media Release