Hundreds of charges laid during Project Safe Semester in Waterloo

More than 500 charges were issued during the annual Project Safe Semester campaign by Waterloo regional police.

The campaign ran from Aug. 29 to Sept. 29 and focuses on the university district in Waterloo. The Waterloo Regional Police Service says the aim of the campaign "is to promote the safety and wellbeing of university and college students."

Police laid out the number of charges from each week:

• Week One: 47 charges.
• Week Two: 105 charges.
• Week Three: 191 charges.
• Week Four: 124 charges.
• Week Five: 76 charges.

Police also broke down the violations:

• Highway Traffic Act charges: 267.
• Criminal Code charges: 124.
• Liquor Licence and Control Act charges: 95.
• Controlled Drug and Substances Act charges: 11.
• Trespass to Property Act charges: Nine.
• Bylaw charges: Two.
• Other charges: 35.

The charges are slightly down from 2023 when police issued 604 charges.

Police said an additional 123 charges were laid during Wilfrid Laurier University's homecoming weekend.

Those charges included:

• Liquor Licence and Control Act charges: 46.
• Highway Traffic Act charges: 45.
• Criminal Code charges: Seven.

Police say the charges this year is a 10.9 per cent decrease from 2023 when 138 charges were laid during the homecoming weekend.

"Although Project Safe Semester has concluded, Waterloo regional police will continue to conduct proactive enforcement in the university district and school zones to ensure everyone's safety," police said in the release.