Latest news with #propertycrime
CTV News
6 days ago
- CTV News
Abbotsford police recover stolen vehicles worth $500K in Sumas Prairie crackdown
Abbotsford police shared this video from their execution of a search warrant related to a recent rise in property crime.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- CTV News
Vancouver's Chinatown pushes for permanent solution after successful crime task force
Flooding the streets of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside with cops has been successful in driving down property crime, say police and business leaders. Flooding the streets of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside with cops has been successful in driving down property crime, say police and business leaders. Vancouver's new police task force designed to crack down on crime in the Downtown Eastside has been a welcome addition for many Chinatown businesses. On Monday, several family-owned stores explained to CTV News that they have witnessed officers on foot, in cruisers and on bikes patrolling the area for several months, and they say their presence has brought a sense of comfort to the community. The Vancouver Police Department's Task Force Barrage released data last week on how the initiative has fared since it began in February. According to the data, Chinatown saw a 26 per cent drop in violent crime year-over-year, alongside a 57 per cent decline in robberies. The most notable difference was in commercial break-and-enters, with the number plummeting 86 per cent. Siblings Ross Lam and Tracy To have been working at Forum Appliances in the heart of Chinatown since 1988, and have seen waves of changes over that time. The two say the area has always faced its challenges but in recent years, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, the neighbourhood fell on hard times and crime in the area grew. 'We've seen a stronger presence of the police force – patrols that we haven't had for many years,' said Lam. To continued by saying they are appreciative of the changes, especially with the reaction time being far less and officers being able to intervene before incidents escalate. Many businesses echoed her sentiment, but say heavy policing is a temporary solution to a problem that needs a permanent fix for the sake of the businesses and community. 'There has to be more done from other levels of government,' said To. 'I feel the police can only do so much. They're not the ones to solve the mental health crisis.' To said she hopes that elected officials will place more emphasis on the Downtown Eastside, and will try to get to the root of the problem. One block over, David Prowse, the director of programming of the Rickshaw Theatre on East Hastings, echoed the calls for action. The longtime Vancouverite says he has never felt unsafe in the neighbourhood, but believes the greater attention on finding solutions to those in need of help is crucial. 'I love this neighbourhood, and I want to see it succeed,' said Prowse. 'The big problem is the housing crisis, overdose crisis, mental health crises that are happening at a regional and maybe even a national level and are hyper focused in this area.' Prowse is calling for government action to help those suffering in the area, as it affects everyone, he said.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Businesses voice concerns after break-ins in downtown Springfield
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Business owners in downtown Springfield are sharing their grievances online after their stores have been broken into multiple times. 'Downtown's good vibes, other than getting your stuff broken into at night by hoodlums,' said business owner Jamie Logan. Ozarks First requested property crime data within the parameters of Chestnut Expressway, National Avenue, Grant Avenue and Grand Street. According to Springfield Police records, there have been 160 vandalism reports in the past year. These numbers combine homes and businesses. 'It may look like our crime stats are high, but it's because we document everything,' said Lt. Curt Ringgold with SPD. Logan says unfortunately break-ins are common. 'It's one of many times, but, yeah, this time they straight just busted through my window,' Logan said. Logan owns Jamie's Shoes on College Street in downtown Springfield. One of the outside windows of his store is now covered up after two men were seen on video breaking the glass to steal a pair of shoes. He says he doesn't plan on pressing charges. 'If I press charges and took them to court, it would have cost way more money than the pair of shoes that he took,' Logan said. 'They were cool because they were from the 90s and like, you don't ever see them, but I'm not taking some of the court over that.' SPD says property damage in the downtown area is common, with Ringgold telling Ozarks First they 'do get a lot of those reports,' however he says property crimes downtown have not increased in the past year. 'I think we are right on the norm,' Ringgold said. Logan has owned his business for less than a year and says he's been broken into somewhere between five to 10 times. 'I go to bed at night, like, paranoid is my s*** is going to get broken into literally every single night,' Logan said. He says other business owners downtown have reached out to him, saying their stores were also randomly broken into. 'Do we have some things down there? Absolutely,' Ringgold said. 'But we're on top of those things. And we try to squash those things before they become big things.' Logan says he wishes the officers downtown would get more involved. 'They're patrolling and stuff, I see them down here all the time,' Logan said. 'You'd think that'd be good.' Logan's advice for other business owners would be to invest in security cameras. 'I really encourage every business owner resident to register their cameras with the police department,' Ringgold said. 'Those are things that we can use, again to link crimes together and develop a suspect.' Despite the property damage, both Ringgold and Logan agree downtown has more ups than downs. 'Downtown's not all bad, especially in the daytime,' Logan said. 'It's good.' Police do have officers specifically assigned to downtown. 'Our officers are trained in CPTED, which is crime prevention through environmental design,' Ringgold said. 'So it's ways that we can trim bushes and tell these businesses and property owners things to do to minimize themselves of being victims.' They say the best way to prevent crime is to get to know them and report anything that happens even if it's minor. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
09-05-2025
- CBC
No evidence cameras around Acadia University deterred bad student behaviour, report says
Video cameras installed in the residential area around Acadia University for a two-year pilot project didn't have any obvious effect on property crime and student partying, according to a report from Town of Wolfville staff. The surveillance cameras were mounted at 11 locations in the streets surrounding the Wolfville, N.S., university in 2022 due to escalating complaints from residents, with the hopes the presence of the equipment would deter bad behaviour and increase accountability. "I think maybe it just didn't meet our expectations," Jennifer Ingham, Wolfville's deputy mayor, said in an interview. There's no concrete evidence the cameras were a deterrent and when incidents did occur, "footage captured was not helpful in holding any individual accountable for their behavior," the staff report said. Despite this, the town said property crime, the theft of street signage and overall nuisance calls have decreased since 2022. Restrictions on public gatherings related to the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for students to be social, Ingham said, but once those restrictions were lifted, there were fewer issues with large gatherings spilling out into the residential streets. Better collaboration between the municipality, the university and RCMP have also gone a long way in keeping the peace, she said. "I think the partnerships are just working really well at the present moment," she said. Collaborative approach The RCMP are taking a more collaborative approach to preventing problems between students and residents in the neighbourhood surrounding Acadia, said the top Mountie for the area. "What we've done in recent years is we have made sure to involve partners more in the planning process," said Staff Sgt. Ed Nugent, commander of Kings District RCMP. Nugent said the Mounties do have an increased presence in the residential area next to the school during significant events like homecoming celebrations, but a large part of mitigating any issues is being proactive. The force is in constant consultation with the university, student organizations and even landlords, he said. Mounties work directly with the town's compliance officers when they know a big event is happening, Nugent said. "I think it's safe to say that we've built and strengthened our relationships greatly with the town and we currently enjoy a really good working relationship," he said. The vast majority of students and young people in the community are great to deal with, Nugent said. Wolfville's mayor also gave credit to the students for being a part of the solution. "Kudos to their majority in responsible partying," Jodi MacKay said at council's committee of the whole meeting on Wednesday. "I think we've come a long way." Councillors voted unanimously at the meeting to not continue the video surveillance project. A final decision on the matter will be made at the next regular council meeting.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Sun-soaked beauty spots now rank atop list of America's most dangerous places
The most dangerous states in America have been ranked by US News and World Report. In the number one spot for the second time in two years was New Mexico, known for its beautiful desert scenery, dry climate and the White Sands National Park. The danger level of all 50 states was determined by their violent crime and property crime rates, which were based on FBI data. The FBI defines violent crime as assault, rape, manslaughter and murder. Property crime is generally things like burglary, vehicle theft and arson. New Mexico ran away with it on violent crime, with a per capita rate of 749 per 100,000 residents. Its property crime rate, 2,887 per 100,000, was the exact same as Washington state. Ironically, the state is where the critically acclaimed crime drama ' Breaking Bad ' took place. Walter White, the character who became the most notorious meth dealer in the southwestern US, lived with his family in Albuquerque, the most populous city in New Mexico. In real life, Albuquerque has a crime rate well above the national average. Police in the city of half a million people reported that felony arrests went up 12 percent in the first quarter of this year. In Santa Fe, the state capital, the crime rate increased five percent since last year, according to the city's police department. The second most dangerous place to live in was deemed to be Colorado, a state with 36 percent less violent crime than New Mexico. However, it earned the silver medal for treachery based on its absurdly high property crime rate that nearly eclipses New Mexico's. Colorado isn't typically thought of as an especially dangerous area, with most Americans associating the western state with the gorgeous Rocky Mountains and luxurious ski resorts like Aspen or Breckenridge. However, another list from WalletHub that came out last October ranking the safest states in the US put Colorado in a dismal 42nd place. Louisiana, which ranked second in last year's list from US News, got a little safer this year, now occupying the third spot. The Bayou state had a 15 percent higher violent crime rate than Colorado but eight percent fewer property crimes. Much of Louisiana's crime is centered in New Orleans, though the city recently has been seeing significant progress on lowering the number of shootings, car jackings and armed robberies. Rounding out the top five most dangerous were Tennessee and Arkansas, two southern states. Last year, they were listed at number six and number four, respectively, meaning they both improved based on the methodology used by US News. Alaska, Washington, California, Nevada and South Carolina finished out the top 10 most dangerous states. The safest state to live was New Hampshire, which had 85 percent less violent crime and 69 percent less property crime than New Mexico.
