Violence and property crime in Delta were both down for the first quarter of the year, according to the latest data from the Delta Police Department.
Statistics to be presented at the upcoming police board meeting on May 15 show most crime rates declined in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024. Violent crime was down 11 per cent overall compared to the same period in 2023, while property crime was down 23 per cent for the first three months of the year.
The statistics “reflect a positive shift in the safety and security of Delta, demonstrating the effectiveness of ongoing efforts to combat crime,” according to a DPD press release noting the department’s partnership with community members increases the effectiveness of its crime reduction strategies.
“I am proud of the work our team continues to do in ensuring the safety and well-being of our community. Our community-first policing approach, which prioritizes the needs and expectations of our community, remains at the forefront of our efforts,” Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord said in a statement.
According to the latest data, assaults were down 25 per cent compared to the same period last year — 80 in Q1 of 2024 versus 107 in 2023 — and nine per cent below the three-year average of 88 incidents over those three months.
The number of robberies dropped from nine to two during the same period — a 78 per cent decrease from Q1 of 2023 and 71 per cent lower than the three-year average of seven incidents.
Other persons offences such as uttering threats and harassment were down 38 per cent compared to the previous year (71 in 2024 versus 114 in 2023) and 28 per cent compared to the three-year average of 98.
Violent offences involving youth were also down 55 per cent compared to the three-year average.
However, there was a 19 per cent increase in reported incidents of intimate partner violence (44 in Q1 of 2024) compared to the three-year average (37).
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In terms of sexual offences, “Level 1” sexual assaults were down 13 per cent compared to the three-year average.
However, “Level 2” sexual assaults (defined in the Criminal Code as causing bodily harm or involving a weapon or threats against a third party) and “Level 3” or “aggravated” sexual assaults (defined as an assault that “wounds, maims, disfigures or endangers the life of the complainant”) were up slightly from a total of seven in Q1 of 2023 to 10 in 2024. The three-year average for these assaults is six.
Meanwhile, there were 691 total property crime offences reported in Q1 of 2024, down from 892 over the same three months of 2023. That’s 14 per cent below the three-year average of 800 incidents.
Residential break-and-enters dropped by 20 per cent, from 25 in Q1 of 2023 to 20 in the same period this year — 26 per cent below the three-year average of 27.
Commercial break-ins were also down 23 per cent, from 31 in 2023 to 24 in 2024. That’s 14 per cent below the three-year average of 28.
Vehicle thefts were down 42 per cent, from 36 in 2023 to 21 in 2024 — a drop of 25 percent from the three-year average of 28.
Thefts from vehicles plummeted 64 per cent, from 201 incidents in 2023 to 73 in 2024. That’s 61 per cent less than the three-year average of 188.
Traffic collisions in Delta were seven per cent below the three-year average.
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