A report from Winnipeg police shows there were significant increases in violent crimes last year, although there was a slight decrease in overall crime.
The Winnipeg Police Service will discuss the annual statistical report at a news conference late Tuesday morning.
The number of youths charged with committing violent crimes increased by 15.9 per cent in 2023 compared with 2022, while the number of overall suspects charged with such offences was up 12.1 per cent. Overall violent crime was up 31.4 per cent compared with the five-year average.
Overall crime was down 2.2 per cent compared with 2022 and up 8.6 compared with the five-year average.
Overall youth crime was up 23.1 per cent in 2023. Drug crimes among all suspects were up 10.9 per cent but down 19.3 when compared with the five-year average.
Among weapons offences in 2023, knife crimes are up 21.6, gun offences were up 5.6, and bear spray crimes were down 24.5 per cent. Offences involving other weapons were up 16.6.
The total calls to the WPS communications centre were up 9.8 per cent compared with 2022 and 20.1 per cent compared with the five-year average.
Well-being checks remained the top “citizen-generated event” for the fourth consecutive year, with 21,206, a 4.2 per cent increase. The number of calls was a five-year high. There were 15,075 such calls in 2018.
Domestic violence calls were the second-most frequent citizen-generated event, with 17,605, a 6.1 per cent increase. In the previous five years, the most such calls were in 2020, with 17,921.
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