Statistics Canada is out with its annual report on 2018 Police Reported Crime Statistics, compiled from over 200 police organizations from coast to coast to coast and the local area is leading in one area.
The Belleville Census Metropolitan Area, which also includes Quinte West, Stirling-Rawdon and Tyendinaga, had the highest decrease in the Crime Severity Index(CSI), at 20%, of any other CMA in the country.
Two thirds of CMAs saw increases in their CSI.
The main reason the Belleville CMA’s CSI dropped so dramatically was due to far fewer charges involving voyeurism, non-consensual distribution of intimate images, and theft.
In 2017, many voyeurism and intimate image type charges involved a slew of charges against retired Belleville Orthodontist Dr. Garry Solomon, who passed away before the case in court got underway in earnest in 2017.
Last year, the Belleville CMA’s Crime Severity Index was 61.2, Kingston’s was 67.3 and Peterborough’s CSI was low at 48.2.
The Belleville CMA’s Crime Rate was 4,980 per 100,000 people while the national Crime Rate was 5,488 per 100,000.
Chief Ron Gignac says “This is positive news for the City of Belleville for many reasons on many fronts- Public safety, hardworking police officers, police staff, community partners, citizens, social clubs, relationship building with all Community, Provincial, National, and some international partners- Its all about making Belleville the safest community in Ontario, and the results are beginning to show on the National stage.”
Further the Chief added “Thanks to our Board for supporting me, and the Force. Thanks to our officers and hardworking staff for doing the heavy lifting out there to keep us safe, and for striving to provide service excellence.”
The national Crime Severity Index was up 2%, to 75 which was the fourth year in a row there’d been an increase. Ontario’s CSI was 60.
The Belleville CMA, in existence since 2016, features policing by the OPP and the Belleville Police Service.
Here are some statistics from the Belleville Police Service:
The number of Criminal Code Violations (excluding traffic) totalled 3,592 which was down almost 500 from 2017.
The Crime Rate was down 13% last year from the previous year.
There were no homicide, first degree murder, second degree murder, manslaughter or infanticide charges laid.
One attempted murder charged was laid by Belleville city police officers.
There were no aggravated sexual assault charges laid. There was one charge of Level 2 sexual assault (involving a weapon and/or bodily harm). There were 58 Level 1 sexual assault charges last year, down considerably from 76 such charges in 2017. In 2016 the Belleville Police Service laid 42 Level 1 sexual assault charges.
There were a total of 29 robbery charges laid last year, up from 22 the year before.
There were a total of 203 break and enter charges, down a bit from the 211 laid in 2017.
The number of impaired driving charges was up considerably, to 50 from 37 the year before.
The main Statistics Canada report on Police Reported Crime is here.
