- Winnipeg may be on the verge of setting a modern-day homicide record.
- Winnipeg has gone murder-free during the opening eight weeks of 2010 and is two days from surviving the first two months of the year without one, as of press time Friday.
- If this weekend comes to pass without one, it would be the first time in a long time there hasn’t been a homicide reported in the city before March 1 and may be the longest Winnipeg has gone before recording the year’s first, although no records are kept for such a thing.
- “That number varies but it appears that in recent history the furthest in a year before we’ve had a homicide has been about five weeks,” a Winnipeg police spokeswoman said.
- It’s good news and good fortune for a city that repeatedly finds itself near the top of Statistics Canada’s per capita murder rankings and is dragged through the mud for it.
- So far in 2010, no family has had to endure the pain and grief of losing a loved one to violence.
- It isn’t an indicator of what lies ahead, police and observers say.
- “When you have small numbers of anything they tend to fluctuate,” said U of M professor and criminologist Rick Linden. “To me, it’s just that we’ve been lucky so far.”
- Police say anything can happen and cite 2004 as proof.
- There were no homicides in January 2004 but the year ended up as Winnipeg’s deadliest, with 34 slayings in the following 11 months.
- And 2010 hasn’t been violence-free. Several people have been attacked and seriously injured, leading to attempted murder charges in some cases.
- Winnipeg’s last homicide was Dec. 11, about 11 weeks ago.
- The city has gone homicide-free for long spurts within a calendar year several times.
- “We have experienced extended periods of time between homicides and there appears to be no rhyme or specific factors which are known to cause that,” the police spokeswoman said.
- In 2009, for example, more than 10 weeks passed between the city’s sixth and seventh homicide victims. The year (2009) ended with 29, one of the highest counts on record.
- By this time in 2009, six people had been slain.
- Homicide rates and occurrences are extremely difficult to predict, police said.
- The lull has given the homicide unit more time for unsolved cases or other work.
- In recent years Winnipeg has averaged 24 homicides a year, with higher totals — 27 to 29 — in the last three.
- With all crimes counted, the crime rate in 2010 so far has increased by 1% compared to this time in 2009.
- Robberies have decreased 11% since last year at this time
- Sexual assaults have also decreased by 22%
- Shootings have increased by 120% as their have been 11 so far in 2010 and were only 5 at this time in 2009.
- Attempted theft of motor vehicles have increased by 12% but actual motor vehicle theft has decreased by 20%
- Commercial break and enters have also decreased by 7% since 2009, however, other break and enters have increased by 30% and residential break and enters have remained the stable.
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