Violent crime rate at its highest since 2009, Winnipeg police data suggests

Winnipeg's violent crime severity level last year was the highest it's been since 2009, according to new data from the police.

The number of violent crimes, including assaults, homicides and kidnappings, was nearly 24 per cent higher in 2022 than the five-year average, and just over 19 percent higher than in 2021, says the Winnipeg Police Service annual statistical report, released Tuesday.

"This year we've really seen a notable increase year-over-year," said David Bowman, a data analyst for the Winnipeg Police Service, at a news conference.

Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth hopes people have some perspective about the data.

"I've been a cop here in Winnipeg for almost 37 years and I've experienced this trend before, actually we had higher crime rates in the '90s and early 2000s than we're experiencing now. That doesn't take away from the fact that it's still concerning and alarming," he said in an interview with CBC News on Tuesday.

Smyth believes the pandemic and the fear and loneliness it created have contributed to mental health concerns and addictions, and in some cases, gangs are capitalizing on those vulnerabilities.

"I think all of these things have just exacerbated the situation."

Violent crime was the only type of crime that didn't see a remarkable decrease during 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 emergency, Bowman said.

Last year, Winnipeg saw a record number of homicides, with 53 deaths.

Among those were at least six homicides that are believed to have been committed by youth, and four Indigenous women that police believe were killed by the same man.

Property crimes were 20.3 per cent higher in 2022 than the five-year average, the data suggests.

All other crimes saw a downward trend.

Youth crime up from last year

The number of youth involved in all types of crime jumped by just over 43 per cent in 2022 compared to the year prior, but both Smyth and Bowman also cautioned to take that number with a grain of salt.

The 2022 numbers are actually more than 13 per cent below the five-year average, and 2021 was a historic low for youth involved in criminal matters, Bowman said.

"While the year-over-year per cent change is no doubt concerning, it's important to situate what we saw last year within the larger context of the last five or six years and beyond."

Bowman said it will be important to keep these statistics in mind when they compile statistics for 2023, to see if last year was an outlier or the start of an emerging trend.

Smyth echoed that perspective, and said it's a reflection of the trauma the community experienced during the pandemic.

"Our youth lived that and I think some of the behaviour we've seen is a reflection of that," he said.

City forecasts $27 million deficit

The police's 2022 statistical report comes the day after the City of Winnipeg released its first quarterly financial update for 2023, including expenses up to the end of March.

The city forecasts a deficit of $27 million, mostly due to shortfalls in the Winnipeg Police Service and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service budgets, according to a news release issued Monday.

Council ordered the police to find $9.2 million in savings this year.

Smyth says he's found savings within the Winnipeg police budget for the last few years and will continue to do so.

"There's always going to be that tension between the right number of resources and the cost of the resources," Smyth said, adding that he'd seen more emphasis in growing police budgets in response to crime in the '90s.

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham wouldn't commit to adding more police officers to the force.

"Police officers do important work, very important work, they're very key to our community and keeping our community safe. But police officers cannot do it all. Even if we added more officers or reduced officers, they can't do it all," he said Tuesday.

Gillingham wants to see the right balance of police, patrol groups, community groups and others to reduce and prevent crime.