SURREY — Violent crime is up in Surrey and so are robberies, sex assaults and spousal assaults – but property crime and homicides are down.
On Friday, the Surrey RCMP released its second quarter crime statistics. Here are the report’s highlights:
Violent crime
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Surrey has seen a 36 per cent increase in violent crime.
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Homicides are down 14 per cent.
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The number of robberies is up, which is attributed to several robbery series. The last quarter saw cigarettes being targeted in convenience stores across the Lower Mainland, a series of bank robberies, and robberies using online classified advertisements.
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There is also an increase in sexual assaults. In 88 per cent of the incidents, the victims knew the offender.
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There has been a 13 per cent increase in spousal assaults.
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The second quarter also saw an increase of six abduction/kidnapping files, which RCMP say were primarily related to domestic/custody disputes.
Property crime
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Property crime is down seven per cent, with the most notable decreases in break and enter (-16 per cent), theft from vehicle (-17 per cent), and theft of motor vehicle (-nine per cent).
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The Surrey RCMP’s Auto Crime Target Team (ACTT) conducted "Project Hot Wheels" this past spring which resulted in 33 arrests and the recovery of over 75 stolen vehicles in a one-month period. A total of 63 arrests relating to auto theft were made in the second quarter of 2015.
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RCMP say the 20 per cent increase seen in stolen property and offensive weapons is reflective of an increase in targeting known offenders who are found to be in possession of these items. Over the past three months, a total of 96 weapons were seized, including 12 firearms, as a result of the joint enforcement initiative between Surrey RCMP, CFSEU-BC and Delta Police.
