Hamilton's crime rate dropped 2 per cent in 2015

Hamilton's crime rate and crime severity index, measures of thevolume and seriousnessof crime reported by police, both fell in 2015, compared to the year before.

Looking just at violent crime, there were 4,540 violent crime incidents reported by Hamilton Police in 2015, down from 5,000 the year earlier.

Hamilton's numbersruncounter to the national and provincial trends. Canada's crime rate rose 3 per cent and its severity index rose 5 per cent in 2015. It was the first increase since 2012.The agency attributed the increases tomore incidents of fraud, breaking and entering, robbery, and homicide.

"While the crime rate grew in 2015, it has generally been on a downward trend since the early1990s, with the only other increase reported in 2003," Stats Can said.

In Ontario, the crime rate stayed the same from 2014, but the severity index rose 2 per cent from the year earlier.