After seeing significant year-over increases in certain types of crime early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Stratford Police says the trends are starting to reverse.
SPS Chief Greg Skinner says in a message to the public that mental health calls were up 51 percent in March and April, compared to the previous year, while domestic/family dispute calls were up 18 percent and vandalism calls were up 72 percent.
Other than the exception of mental health calls which were up 19 percent and drug-related arrests and seizures which were up 60 percent, Skinner says May say a reversal in trends over 2019 including in property crime and violent crime.
Skinner adds police haven’t had to take any enforcement action to date over contraventions of COVID-19 emergency orders.
