As a follow-up to this week’s Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting, HRM Partners in Policing are releasing the 2010 second quarter crime statistics. Overall crime is up 3% when comparing the second quarter of 2010 to the same period in 2009.

Violent crime is down over 8%, including decreases in homicides, attempt homicides, robberies and assaults. Property crime has risen 11% with increases in thefts and break and enters, and decreases in thefts of motor vehicle and frauds.

HRM Partners in Policing are continuing to stay the course with our crime reduction strategy to address the increase in property-related offences.

Police continue to ask citizens to secure their property to prevent thefts from vehicles and sheds, and break and enters into their homes, particularly through unlocked doors and windows during the warmer spring and summer months.

We will also continue to focus on hot spots policing, deploy our Quick Response and Street Crime Units to target the criminal element, monitor those who are on court imposed conditions, and put officers in close contact with the community to address crime as well as quality-of-life issues.