Criminal offences reported last year totalled almost 3,500, with cops concerned about larcenies

There were almost 3,500 criminal offences committed in 2023, the
number climbing slightly above the 2022 total, according to Police
Commissioner Atlee Rodney.

In 2022 there were 3,166 reported crimes, while there were 3,425
in 2023, the top cop reports.

Rodney says that petty crime remains an area of concern, and that
larceny takes up at least one third (33 percent) of the
reports received last year.
 
The second area that disturbs him, Rodney says, is building break-
ins, which were 22 percent of all the reports made.
 
Meanwhile, malicious damage – with some complaints stemming
from domestic disputes – accounts for 12 percent, he says.
Addressing robbery, a serious crime that seems to be on the
increase, Rodney says there were only 119 cases in 2023, and these
represent 3 percent of the reports.
 
However, the top cop says this is still of concern because these
events are usually traumatic for the victims.
 
Regarding the more serious offence of murder, the number remains
the same as in 2022, with each year recording 10 cases.
 
In the meantime, reported traffic collisions increased from 2,379 in
2022 to 2,414 in 2023.
 
There were, however, fewer road fatalities, with 10 in 2023 and 11
the year before.

The commissioner says the Fire Department responded to 387
reports in 2022, while last year it dropped by three to 384, with
house fires showing a significant increase.
 
In 2022, officers responded to 46 house fires compared to 88 in
2023, the commissioner says.