More stunt driving, commercial robberies amid COVID-19 pandemic

Calls for service to the Waterloo regional police have gone down by an average of about 15 to 20 per cent amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chief Bryan Larkin.

Speaking at a police services board meeting Thursday, Larkin says common crimes such as shoplifting and vehicle collisions have been on the decline as people heed public health advice to stay home.

Still, he said certain types of crime are bucking that trend. 

Stunt driving in Waterloo region has been up — a trend that has also been spotted by police in York Region and Middlesex County.

There has also been an uptick in commercial robberies targeting pharmaceutical stores, said Larkin.

Family violence has also seen a small increase, he said.

Dangerous situations

Meantime, Larkin says police have been busy responding to reports of people flouting physical distancing guidelines.

Over the weekend, he said police received a complaint about a large religious ceremony — despite calls from public health that faith leaders explore virtual options instead.

Larkin said many calls about dangerous situations involve young people.

One such incident happened Tuesday night, when Larkin himself responded to a service call involving four 14-year-olds in Woolwich Township who were wrestling and playing with a fake gun. 

"I recognize these are young people being young people but I want to talk about the seriousness of this," said Larkin. 

"We need to ensure that ... all of our community, every single one of us, plays a role in planking the curve."

Larkin said people who spot dangerous situations should report them, but only emergency calls should be made to 9-1-1. Otherwise, he said people in the region can call the region's customer service line or the police non-emergency line.