Crime in Waterloo region more complicated and more violent: Chief Larkin

Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin says police are dealing with more complicated and more violent crime than in years past, and it's putting a strain on officer resources.

"In many ways, we're hanging on," said Larkin, who said that regional police respond to about 810 calls a day.

Larkin spoke to reporters Tuesday during a media roundtable that had been called to discuss violent crime in the region this year and during the pandemic.

The event was called as police begin budget negotiations with a draft operating budget of $189.2 million, an increase over last year's operating budget of approximately $180 million amid calls to defund police locally, nationally and internationally.

TV investigations 'not reality,' Larkin says

Larkin said that so far this year, his officers have responded to 13 shootings in the region, seven homicides and five attempted murders. He also pointed to a recent string of arsons at Walmart stores in the region and to a violent carjacking in Waterloo.

Larkin said each investigation takes a significant amount of time. A recent homicide investigation tied to a shooting on Birkinshaw Road in Cambridge has taken 1,084 investigative hours, Larkin said.

"Often much of [the public's] narrative is derived from television where in 45 minutes from start to finish, there's a crime solved, there's a judicial process and the detectives go to another case," said Larkin.

"It's not reality."

Larkin's presentation also touched on the latest Statistics Canada data on violent crime in Ontario. Compared to similar-sized municipalities in Ontario, Waterloo region was "leading the pack" in 2019, Larkin said.

The violent crime rate per 100,000 people was 1,305 in Waterloo region. The provincial median was 856, according to Larkin's presentation.  

Larkin said the violent crime rate is likely tied, in part, to better reporting around sexual assaults. But, he said, some of it is also due to gun crimes, homicides, person-on-person robbery and other violent incidents.

Larkin said he thinks it's important for the police to think about how to "do business differently," and said he hopes to have better dialogue with different community groups going forward around crime prevention and diversion.