Murders, robberies and thefts in Sault Ste. Marie all reached a five-year high in 2021, according to the most recent statistics from Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.
Homicides doubled last year, from two murders in 2020 to four in 2021.
Reports of robberies were up 37 per cent in 2021, from 81 in 2020 to 111 last year.
Thefts, meanwhile, saw a 22.4 per cent increase overall, from 1,843 in 2020 to 2,255 last year.
The majority of that increase can be attributed to shoplifting. There were 704 reported shoplifting incidents in 2021, a staggering 129.3 per cent increase over the 307 shoplifting incidents reported by police during the previous year.
Overall, break-and-enters reported to police were down 6.1 per cent in 2021 when compared to the previous year, driven by a 47.2 per cent decrease in break-and-enters to businesses.
There were 623 break-ins to residences reported to police last year, representing a 1.1 per cent jump from 2020.
Break-and-enters labelled ‘other’ by police — which includes break-ins to sheds, garages and other outlying buildings on properties — are up 39.2 per cent (74 reported in 2020 to 103 last year). Attempted break-ins are up 21.5 per cent (79 attempted break-ins reported in 2020 to 96 in 2021).
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service also reported increases in its use of force techniques during 2021:
- Firearm discharged: 1 in 2020, 7 in 2021 (600 per cent increase)
- Firearm pointed: 71 in 2020, 97 in 2021 (36.6 per cent increase)
- Firearm drawn: 3 in 2020, 10 in 2021 (233.3 per cent increase)
- Aerosol weapon: none in 2020, 2021
- Hard impact weapon (using baton to deliver strikes): 0 in 2020, 1 in 2021 (100 per cent increase)
- Soft impact weapon (baton being utilized as a pry technique to assist with physical control of a subject): 1 in 2020, 9 in 2021 (800 per cent increase)
- Hard empty-hand techniques (striking of a generally assaultive person): 3 in 2020, 5 in 2021 (66.7 per cent)
- Soft empty-hand techniques (application of joint locks, some grounding techniques and/or pressure points to a person): 3 in 2020, 25 in 2021 (733.3 per cent increase)
- Conducted energy weapon deployed: 7 in 2020, 18 in 2021 (157.1 per cent increase)
- Conducted energy weapon displayed: 37 in 2020, 63 in 2021 (70.3 per cent increase)
- Canine bite: 0 in 2020, 1 in 2021 (100 per cent increase)
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service hasn't provided crime stats at Police Services Board meetings since mid-2021 due to a cyberattack.