Newly-released crime statistics show that while calls to RCMP in Manitoba are up around 7% overall, those numbers in some regions jump significantly when it comes to property crime.
On Friday, Manitoba RCMP released their monthly crime statistics for December. According to the stats, total calls for service for this past December were up 7%, from 14,494 in 2022 to 15,528 in 2023.
Numbers, however, for property crime calls were up significantly higher than other calls, as in the RCMP East District crime against property calls were up 43% from 630 in 2022 to 904 in 2023, and in the West District property crime calls were up 37% from 502 to 689.
Property crimes can include theft, breaking and entering, burglary, auto theft, arson and vandalism.
Theft could be playing a significant role of those rising numbers, especially in the eastern region, as previous RCMP stats released late last year showed that theft was up by 23% in the East District in October of 2023, compared to the same time period in 2022.
In the East District alone, RCMP theft calls jumped from 937 in October of 2022, to 1,149 in 2023.
In a statement sent to the Winnipeg Sun in December after those statistics were released, Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) President Kam Blight said the AMM now hears continuously from municipal leaders and business owners about growing issues with theft and other property crimes across the province, and that people are feeling less and less safe in their own communities and in their homes and businesses.
“Our members have been ringing the alarm about increasing crime rates in their communities for a long time,” Blight said.
Blight said AMM also has their own statistics that show that people are feeling less safe and secure in their communities because of crime and criminals.
“In 2023, the AMM commissioned an independent poll by Probe Research which revealed that only 5% of Manitobans feel safer in their community than they did three years ago, while 56% of Manitobans feel decidedly less safe in their community,” Blight said.
— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
