Property crimes in Oak Bay lowest in a decade
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Updated: September 08, 2009 11:59 AM
Crime rates continue steady slide
Property crimes in Oak Bay are on a steady decline.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General, the number of property crimes reported in the municipality has been dropping for five years running.
In 2003 the number was at its highest in a decade, at 823 reported cases: theft from vehicles, theft from homes, theft of vehicles and other property crimes. That number had dropped by 44 per cent to 460 by 2008.
There were 516 reports of property crime in 2007.
“These things are cyclical, depending on who’s out there doing what,” said Oak Bay police Chief Ron Gaudet. “Once we discover who’s responsible, it kind of curtails that activity.”
Oak Bay’s numbers roughly reflect the provincial trend, which has dropped steadily since hitting a 30-year peak in 2003.
The municipality’s overall per capita rate of Criminal Code offences – traffic violations are not included – dropped slightly from 50 per 1,000 population in 2007 to 48 in 2008.
Crime rates for offences other than property crime have stayed relatively steady since 2007, with only slight fluctuations upward or downward.
ecardone@vicnews.com
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