Crime in Windsor down by 10 per cent due to pandemic, says deputy police chief

The total crime rate in Windsor is down by 10 per cent as of June, according to police. 

Typically this time of year sees an uptick in crime, Windsor Police's deputy chief of operations Jason Bellaire said Wednesday, but instead June saw nearly 33 per cent less crime than June 2019. 

This June there were 1,127 total criminal code violations — 546 less than what was reported last year during the same month. 

In terms of property crime, the city saw 717 reports this year, which is 394 less occurrences compared to last June. 

The culprit likely behind this? Bellaire thinks it might be COVID-19. 

The pandemic, he said, has reduced the number of people out and about. 

"Restrictions in place due to the pandemic is keeping more people inside to some degree, even though the patios and some of the venues are open," Bellaire said. 

But there was a slight uptick last month compared to May — a nine per cent increase. 

Police believe going into Stage 2 of reopening and an increase in activity overall may to be blame, but they need to analyze the data further. 

This reduction in crime means that the police station can shift their resources to address more pressing issues — in this case it might be putting officers toward street racing. 

Though Bellaire said they haven't had many street racing complaints, they have seen posts on social media and are encouraging residents to contact police when they have a concern.