Region saw fewer homicides and shootings last year
Waterloo Regional Police Service releases 2023 annual report
Significant gains were made in curbing shootings and homicides in the region last year, the Waterloo Regional Police Service’s 2023 annual report shows.
In 2023, police’s major crime unit investigated 18 shootings in the region, with four in Cambridge, three in Waterloo, and 11 in Kitchener, including two on Greenfield Avenue
in the Vanier area of the city, near Fairview Park Mall.
In 2022, 25 shootings were reported.
The major crime unit also saw a decrease in homicides and attempted homicides, with five homicides and three attempted homicides in 2023. In those eight cases, four arrests were made, and 14 charges laid. Police dedicated 6,515 hours investigating the five homicides.
That’s compared to eight homicides in 2022 and five attempted homicides.
The homicide and shooting numbers are just a snapshot of the 372,247 occurrences handled by police last year, which saw a wide variety of investigations, as wells as drug, firearm and vehicle seizures.
■ Police’s cybercrime unit was busy last year, with 11 investigations and 400 internet child exploitation cases. In those cases, 107 charges were laid and 1,059 devices seized and analyzed.
■ The Drugs and Firearms Unit, which Police Chief Mark Crowell said has seen an uptick in firearm seizures this year through proactive traffic stops, seized 695 firearms and prohibited weapons and more than $2.72 million worth of drugs in 2023. As well, $550,000 worth of vehicles were seized and $356,000 in cash to go along with 37 arrests and 1,854 charges laid.
■ With more sophisticated devices involved in vehicle thefts, police saw 1,081 thefts of vehicles last year
and 102 attempted vehicle thefts. In those thefts, 80 arrests were made with 640 charges laid.
The biggest bust last year came when eight people were arrested and 45 vehicles recovered after police received reports of 84 stolen vehicles between June 1 and Nov. 21.
Vehicles targeted included newer model high-end SUVs and pickup trucks, specifically Toyota Highlanders, Lexus RX350s, Chevrolet Suburbans, GMC Yukons, Chevrolet Tahoes, and Dodge Rams. Reprogramming technology was utilized to steal the vehicles.
Police conducted multiple search warrants at residences in Cambridge, Guelph, Paris, Brampton and Mississauga, resulting in $3.1 million in vehicles recovered, as well as a large amount of cash, numerous blank keys and reprogramming equipment.
■ Declared an epidemic by Region of Waterloo council, intimate partner violence was a focal point for police in 2023, as the service fielded 6,244 related calls. Of the incidents, 290 warrants were completed and 3,788 charges laid. The police service’s Early Intervention Program supported 436 individuals in the region.
■ On the streets, the traffic unit issued 23,105 road safety charges in 2023, including 5,547 for speeding, 939 for impaired driving, 354 for distracted driving and 361 for failing to wear a seatbelt.
Those categories are considered the “fatal four” by police in traffic collisions.
Last year there were 10 fatalities on the region’s roads, with six of them involving one of the fatal four offences.
Vehicles targeted for theft included newer model high-end SUVs and pickup trucks