Robbery, car-theft decline dramatic

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This article was published 07/01/2009 (6444 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Bank tellers, gas jockeys and vehicle owners have reason to smile today — Winnipeg police statistics show dramatic drops in commercial robberies and auto theft in 2008.

Between Jan. 1 and Dec. 28, auto theft plummeted 45 per cent from 2007’s totals, according to preliminary year-end statistics posted by police on their CrimeStat website.

The decline in stolen vehicles is overshadowed slightly by a 49 per cent reduction in the number of robberies at businesses in the city.

Overall, police say crime dropped 36 per cent across the nine offence categories that police publicly report on CrimeStat.

The reduction in auto theft is due largely to the continued efforts of the Winnipeg Auto Theft Suppression Strategy.

The WATSS strategy combines the efforts of police, Manitoba justice and MPI in keeping close tabs on chronic teenage car thieves when they’re out on bail or serving sentences in the community. Investigators have credited the initiative for a long string of month-over-month reductions in stolen cars in the city.

Police were hard-pressed Tuesday to explain the reduction in commercial robberies.

Const. Lisa Mandziak said it may have to do with the number of habitual offenders in jail, combined with better tactics by businesses and police to crack down crime on or prevent crimes from happening.

"Any reduction in crime is important. Hopefully it’s a continuing trend," Mandziak said.

University of Manitoba criminologist Rick Linden, who’s also the chairman of the provincial auto-theft reduction task force, said what’s notable about the reductions is the impact they’ll likely have for citizens.

Linden said when auto-theft rates drop, public safety is increased because fewer cars are being driven dangerously by scofflaw teens. The decline could also mean an insurance-rate cut for car owners down the line.

james.turner@freepress.mb.ca