Key stats in Winnipeg crime in 2022

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/05/2023 (880 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you average out the stats for all of 2022, a young offender committed a crime every 5.3 hours in Winnipeg. It’s 8.9 hours for violent acts.

Most residents consider criminal behaviour — if they think about it at all — in terms of having to buy a new bike after a garage break-in, or the inconvenience of getting a vehicle window replaced following some overnight vandalism in their neighbourhood.

But the Winnipeg Police Service tracks the statistics down to a granular level, breaking down anti-social activities in myriad ways to help identify areas that might need more or less resources or different strategies to protect people and their property. The numbers are invaluable for police executives and civic leaders when the budget is hammered out each year.

Gun calls? Officers responded to them every 3.7 hours, on average. Knives were used to commit an offence every 6.7 hours. Someone used bear spray as a weapon every 7.7 hours.

The 2022 WPS annual statistical report paints a less-than-glowing portrait of the city in facts and figures.

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The use of bear spray in violent crimes on Winnipeg streets has more than doubled since 2017, from 574 incidents to 1,181 in 2022.  That brings into focus the reason the provincial government took action earlier this year to more strictly regulate sales.

The pepper-based protection for hunters, hikers and others who enjoy activities in areas where they might encounter bears, was used in 8.8 per cent of violent crimes last year, the WPS reported.

The spray was the most-used weapon for 32.9 per cent of the people who committed a violent crime while they were out on bail, probation or some other type of court order, followed by knives, at 29.1 per cent.

Manitoba’s new rules require retailers to check customers’ government-issued photo ID and record matching contact information, but inner-city social activist Sel Burrows wants even tighter restrictions.

“We’ve really seen an effective shutdown on retail sales, but we need to shut down online sales,” Burrows said.

“I’ve written to (the government) and said you have to send an official letter to all the companies selling them online and tell them bear spray is a dangerous chemical and there are strong rules about it here and Manitoba expects you to follow (them).”

And while the WPS numbers show bear-spray use was on a steady increase prior to the new regulations, Burrows said believes they would be “200 per cent” higher if all incidents were reported.

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Vehicle accessories — primarily catalytic converters — were the most-stolen items for the second consecutive year, accounting for 14 per cent of recorded thefts.

The highly coveted auto parts are emission-control devices that convert toxic gases and pollutants from engines into chemical compounds less harmful to people and the environment. Thieves target them because of the precious metals they contain. Unscrupulous scrap-metal dealers purchased them for up to $500 in the past.

The 2023 WPS report will likely reflect new provincial regulations prohibiting scrap recyclers from making cash transactions of more than $50 and imposing heavy fines of up to $15,000 for a first offence.

The number of converter thefts in the Winnipeg area peaked at 353 in April 2022, shortly after police raided a scrap yard in the RM of Springfield and arrested three men.

“We’re getting a few vehicles which have had them stolen, but not like before,” said Les Rattai, of J Maxx Collision and Glass in Fort Garry.

“We were getting two to three in a week when we were busy, but now it’s maybe one every two weeks.”

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Winnipeg police couldn’t solve 14.1 per cent of violent crimes because the victim refused to talk to investigators.

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Of 12 delineated neighbourhoods across the city, River Heights residents experienced the greatest percentage of property crime with 84 per cent. Point Douglas had the least, at 55 per cent.

Conversely, Point Douglas had, with 28 per cent, the highest percentage of violent crime, while River Heights had the lowest with 10 per cent.

Groceries accounted for six per cent of items stolen by thieves in 2022. The least-frequently stolen items in the city? Computers, phones, bicycles and fuel at five per cent apiece.

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There were steep drops in the number of some offences in 2022, including 412 illegal drug crimes — a 21.7 per cent drop from the year before — and a 40.6 per cent drop in counterfeiting, with only 114 cases.

Some offences increased in number, including an 11 per cent jump — to 272 incidents — in child-pornography cases.

The number of break-and-enters committed by youths jumped 222.6 per cent, to 1oo incidents.

And, while there were only 25 disturbing the peace incidents, that number represented a 257.1 per cent increase from 2021.

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The largest number of criminal incidents occurred on both sides of the Assiniboine River in the West End, accounting for 29.7 per cent of offences committed, ahead of the central area of the city, at 27.2 per cent.

But while the West End experienced a roughly 28 per cent jump in crime from the year before, the central area saw an increase of about 37 per cent.

After five years of decline, the number of crimes committed by youths jumped to 1,664 incidents in 2022 compared to 1,160 in 2021.

The number has, however, been significantly higher; there were 2,525 incidents in 2017.

Of the police service’s 1,356 police officers, 16.3 per cent are women, 12.6 per cent are Indigenous and 8.6 per cent are racialized.

On the civilian member side, where there are 561 people, 54.3 per cent are women, 12.4 per cent are racialized and 11.6 per cent are Indigenous.

Overall, 40 languages are spoken by members of the WPS and there are 456 multilingual members.

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The busiest day of the week? In 2021, officers responded to 23,550 calls to citizens reporting crimes on Saturdays.

The least busiest is Sunday, when 21,048 calls were made last year.