VPD: Property crime down, but still major factor in Vancouver crime stats

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Property crime was down in 2009, but is still a huge contributor to Vancouver’s overall crime rate for last year–pushing Vancouver’s overall crime rate much higher than other major Canadian cities.

VPD Chief Jim Chu says property crime was down by about nine per cent last year, but Chu says it’s a struggle, because the city attracts more drug addicted people who engage in this type of crime to support their habit.  “We have more of those individuals than the cities of Toronto and Montreal do.  Vancouver is a city that has a warm climate.  It attracts certain people.”

Chu says that is why the ‘Con Air’ program (which ships out-of province criminals home) is so important.
Chu hopes a tougher stance on chronic property criminals in terms of sentencing can continue.

Some of the statistics released today by the VPD for 2009 vs. 2008:
–      3% drop in violent crime
–     8% drop in shots fired calls (35% drop from 2007)
–      9% drop in property crime
–     10% drop in assaults
–      13% drop in robberies
–     17% drop in commercial break and enter
–       22% drop in residential break and enter

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