By Canadian Press

Crime down in first eight months of pandemic, but mental health calls rise: StatCan

Jan 27, 2021 | 8:26 AM

OTTAWA — Newly released figures point to a major drop in police-recorded crime during the first eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.

Statistics Canada says 19 police services across Canada reported that select criminal incidents fell by 18 per cent between March and October 2020, compared with the same period a year earlier.

In contrast, the number of service calls rose eight per cent, particularly for wellness checks and calls for domestic disturbances and mental health.

The agency says violent crimes such as assault dropped significantly, while property crime including shoplifting and residential break-and-enter plunged amid shutdowns that closed stores and kept people home.

The lone outlier to the trend was uttering threats by a family member, which saw a two per cent bump in reported incidents year over year.

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The figures come from 19 police services that serve nearly three-quarters of the Canadian population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2021.

The Canadian Press