Crime decreasing in Regina through 2021: Police statistics

Statistics from police in Regina show crime is decreasing in the Queen City so far in 2021. 

Numbers for the month of April, published ahead of Tuesday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting, show decreases in crimes against people, crimes against property and a combination of both. 

There were 77 fewer reported crimes against people in April 2021 than there were in April 2020, for an 8.2 per cent decrease year-to-date.

There were nearly 800 fewer calls for crimes against property in April 2021 compared to the previous April, for a decrease of 22.6 per cent.

Theft under $5,000 in particular showed a 28.6 per cent decrease, or 460 fewer calls for service than there were in 2020.

Theft of auto rates also decreased nearly five per cent over 2020, or 14 incidents in year-to-date statistics.

"The Regina Police Service in conjunction with its partners in the Stolen Auto Strategy continues to pay constant attention to the issue," the report said. 

When combined, crimes against persons and crimes against property showed a decrease of 19.6 per cent over 2020, year-to-date.

Year-to-date, police responded to 6,528 dispatched calls for service in April, for a nearly five per cent decrease over April, 2020, while alarm calls for service decreased 16.5 per cent for the same time period. 

Declines don't impact every category

While crime in general is declining in Regina, the statistics also showed a number of increases.

There were nine attempted murders reported in the city by in 2021 so far, while there were eight at this point in 2020.

The number of sexual assaults is on the rise in Regina, with 66 reported so far in 2021. At this point last year there were 52 reported. 

Police data showed officers responded to 29 incidents of sexual assault in April 2021, where they responded to nine similar incidents in April, 2020. 

Arson is another area police reported an increase in 2021, having responded to 66 reported incidents this year, which represents a 40.2 per cent increase year-to-date. By this point last year, officers responded to 42 arson incidents. 

Police on the traffic side reported a few year-to-date increases, particularly in the dangerous driving category, where they reported an over 43 per cent increase in such calls when compared to April, 2020. 

Police are also responding to more impaired driving calls than they did in 2020, as shown by a nine per cent increase in that category year-to-date.

Also on the traffic side, police reported handing out nearly 40 per cent more tickets in 2021 than they had in 2020. So far, 5,769 tickets have been handed out this year, compared to 4,164 at the same point last year. 

April in particular, saw a huge jump — nearly 1,000 reported instances — in the number of traffic tickets police issued compared to the previous year. 

The city is also closing in on its homicide total for 2020, when six such incidents were reported. Police have already responded to five homicides through 2021.