Winnipeg youth crime up, overall crime down, report finds

Winnipeg crime rates went down last year, according to recent police report.

The Winnipeg Police Service released its 2012 statistical report on Wednesday, which shows that over the past five years, violent crime has gone down 20 per cent.

The report said in the last year overall crime was down three per cent, while violent crime was down six per cent and property crimes were down three per cent.

Between 2011 and 2012, there were 11 fewer homicides and fewer sexual assaults.

And photo enforcement infractions, which include red light cameras and photo radar, are about half what they were five years ago.

Police chief Devon Clunis said his dream of making Winnipeg a safer city is slowly becoming a reality.

"I dream very big. I do," said Clunis.  "The numbers tell me downtown is very safe, and again, that’s the message I want our citizens to understand."

But not everything is on the downturn. Assaults are up, including those against police officers.

Calls to police are also up -- about 30,000 more than there were five years ago. And the report notes most crime occurs in District 1, an area that includes downtown.

Youth crime has also seen a big jump. It went up 27 per cent from 2011 to 2012, and 92 per cent in the last five years.