Belleville Police say the number of overall crimes in the city last year was down 14% compared to 2019, with close to 3,800 crimes reported.
That’s down from 4,494 crimes reported in 2019, with significant decreases in violent crimes including murders (down 71%) and robberies (down 64%), with BPS saying their “focus in those areas is paying off”.
There was also a 30% drop in break-and-enters and a 12% drop in assaults, though sexual assault calls were steady and police say more needs to be done to address those issues.
Police say the COVID-19 pandemic played a part in changes to crime stats across the board, especially when it came to mental health-related incidents, which account for about 43% of the police service’s total calls.
You can click here to see the full crime stats report from the Belleville Police Service.
