Vancouver crime rate steady in 2020 compared to 2019, according to new stats from VPD

Vancouver's crime levels for 2020 are similar to 2019, according to a new report from the Vancouver Police Department.

Comparingthe same time period, from January to September, there were 4,396 reported crimesin 2020 versus 4,397 incidents in 2019.

The VPD says certain types of crime have increased for example,serious assaults have increased by 14per cent over the previous year and others, like robberies, have decreased by sixper cent.

Crime rosein these categories compared to 2019 according to the VPD report:

• The number of homicides are higher this year: 14 in 2020 versus nine in 2019.
• Serious assaults, which includesassault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and aggravated assault, are up by14per cent.
• Intimate partner violence is4.6 per cent higher than 2019.
• Anti-Asian hate crime incidents increased by 138 per cent.
• Break-and-enters to businesses increased by 18 per cent.
• Arson incidents increased by 39per cent.
• Assaults against police officers have gone up 47 per cent.

Crime fell in these categoriescompared to 2019:

• Robberies aredownsix per cent.
• Property crime decreasedby 20per cent.
• Theft from vehicles has decreased by 37 per cent.
• Theft, likeshoplifting, decreased by 26.6 per cent.
• Sexual offences reported to police have decreased by 5per cent.

Const. Tania Visintinwith the Vancouver Police says some of the numbers can be explained by thepandemic shutdown including adecrease in shoplifting and the increase in business break-and-entersbecause many businesses wereclosed earlier this year.

There was also data collected inspecific neighbourhoods. The report found thatin the three-block radius around Strathcona Park, calls to police for street disorder increased by 51 per cent. They increased by nine per cent in Chinatown and Yaletown.

"There have been a group of very vocal Yaletown residents that have spoken to the city, especially about what's been going on ...so we hear these concerns. And as the police, we can definitely try to target these suspects," Visintin said.

She noted that police were able to arrest four people in connection with a series of mail thefts, break-and-enters and frauds in the downtown core this week.

"We have these stats now and now we can continue with more projects and more reallocating of resources," she said.