Statistics from the New Westminster Police Department show that person offences rose by eight per cent in 2023 and property offences rose by two per cent over the previous year.
At its January meeting, the New Westminster police board received the December 2023 statistics report, which showed the year-to-date numbers for a number of crime categories.
The report stated there was an eight per cent increase in monitored person offences from 2022 to 2023. While there were with decreases in some crime categories, the overall statistics showed there were 725 total monitored persons offences in 2023 – an increase from the 674 offences in 2022.
Here is how some of those stats break down:
- Homicide: one in 2023, compared to zero in 2022 (the report states there were two but the NWPD later told the Record one was a coding error)
- Attempted homicide: one in 2023, compared to two in 2022 – down 50 per cent
- Sexual assault: 60 in 2023, compared to 64 in 2022 – down six per cent
- Assault – common: 437 in 2023, compared to 365 in 2022 – up 20 per cent
- Assault – with weapon or causing bodily harm: 146 in 2023, compared to 179 in 2022 – down 18 per cent
- Assault – aggravated: 10 in 2023, compared to six in 2022 – up 67 per cent
- Robbery: 69 in 2023, compared to 58 in 2022 – up 19 per cent
Other statistics included in the report show that incidents of domestic violence dropped in 2023, while family violence increased:
- Domestic violence: 550 in 2023, compared to 627 in 2022 – a 12 per cent decrease
- Family violence: 267 in 2023, compared to 258 – a three per cent increase
In 2023, there was a two per cent increase in total monitored property offences, increasing to 2,056 from the 2,018 incidents reported a year earlier. Here are some of the statistics related to property offences:
- Break and enter – business: 131 in 2023, compared to 139 in 2022 – down six per cent
- Break and enter – residence: 86 in 2023, compared to 72 in 2022 – up 19 per cent
- Break and enter – other: 66 in 2023, compared to 51 in 2022 – up 29 per cent
- Theft of vehicle: 126 in 2023, compared to 136 in 2022 – down seven per cent
- Theft from vehicle: 523 in 2023, compared to 699 in 2022 – down 25 per cent
- Theft – other, over $5,000: 15 in 2023, compared to 13 in 2022 – up 15 per cent
- Theft other, under $5,000: 566 in 2023, compared to 413 in 2022 – up 37 per cent
- Mischief over $5,000: 13 in 2023, compared to 10 in 2022 – up 30 per cent
- Mischief $5,000 or under: 530 in 2023, compared to 485 in in 2022, up nine per cent
Other statistics show there was an 11 per cent decrease in total collisions in 2023 – 621 incidents compared to 700 in 2022.
Weapons offences, however, increased by 24 per cent – rising to 88 incidents in 2023, compared to 71 in 2022.
How about the downtown?
The police board agenda also included a report highlighting statistics from the downtown neighbourhood. In nine of 10 categories included in the document, the number of incidents rose in 2023, compared to 2022:
- Assault – common: 164 in 2023, compared to 130 in 2022 – a 26 per cent increase
- Assault with weapon or causing bodily harm: 65 in 2023 compared to 85 in 2022 – a 24 per cent decrease
- Assault – aggravated: six in 2023, compared to four in 2022 – a 50 per cent increase
- Robbery: 42 in 2023, compared to 26 in 2022 – a 62 per cent increase
- Break and enter – business: 52 in 2023, compared to 42 in 2022 – a 24 per cent increase
- Break and enter – residence: 19 in 2023, compared to seven in 2022 – a 171 per cent increase
- Theft from auto – over and under $5,000: 131 in 2023, compared to 128 in 2022 – a two per cent increase
- Theft (other) – over and under $5,000: 202 in 2023, compared to 152 in 2022 – a 33 per cent increase
- Mischief – over and under $5,000: 166 in 2023, compared to 137 in 2022 – a 21 per cent increase
- Mental health related calls: 196 in 2023, compared to 155 in 2022 – a 26 per cent increase
The Record has reached out to the New Westminster Police Department for comment. More to come.
