Reported incidents of robberies, thefts and break-ins have been on the decline so far in 2022, according to recent year-to-date statistics compiled by Sault Ste. Marie Police Service.
There were 40 robberies reported to the police service during the first nine months of this year, compared to 90 robberies in the same period in 2021 — a 56 per cent decrease.
Break-and-enters are also down nearly 29 per cent in that same time period, from 666 in the first nine months of 2021 to 474 in the same period this year.
Attempted break-and-enters, meanwhile, have dropped by 42 per cent, from 81 reported to police in 2021 to 47 reported in 2022.
The 1,624 thefts reported to police in the first nine months of 2022 represent a 14.2 per cent decrease from last year, and the 115 reported thefts of motor vehicles between January of September of this year account for a 25 per cent drop when compared to the same period in 2021.
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service Chief Hugh Stevenson told members of the Police Services Board during its monthly meeting Thursday that the most recent year-to-date statistics make for “good news stories in terms of where we sit compared to last year.”
“In terms of why everything’s down, it could simply be that change in criminal patterns in the community, a change in need, a change in availability to social services,” Stevenson told board members.
Police Services Board Chair and Ward 2 Coun. Lisa Vezeau-Allen agreed with Stevenson’s theories on the factors at play in terms of declining crime rates.
“I do agree with you, chief. I mean, with the influx of social services being available, and I think we’re definitely seeing an impact with both the Downtown Ambassador Program as well as the heightened private security downtown, which does have some deterrents,” Vezeau-Allen said, adding that the Community Wellness Bus and grassroots organizations may have also played a role.
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service fielded nearly 25,000 calls for service from the public between January and September of this year.