February 2012 Crime Data

February 2012 Crime Statistics for Winnipeg (for crimes tracked by Crimestat)


Crime Type Year-to-Date Comparison Selected Filter Comparison
Jan 1, 2012
To
Feb 29, 2012		 Jan 1, 2011
To
Feb 28, 2011		 % Change Feb 1, 2012
To
Feb 29, 2012		 Feb 1, 2011
To
Feb 28, 2011		 % Change
 Break & Enters – Commercial
 148 102 45% 65 51 27%
 Break & Enters – Other
 125 106 18% 41 45 -9%
 Break & Enters – Residential
 327 345 -5% 152 190 -20%
 Homicide
 5 7 -29% 3 4 -25%
 Robbery – Commercial/Financial
 61 50 22% 42 12 250%
 Robbery – Non-Commercial/Financial
 227 181 25% 101 84 20%
 Sexual Assault
 23 27 -15% 12 9 33%
 Shooting
 12 3 300% 6 1 500%
 Theft Motor Vehicle – Actual
 187 254 -26% 113 110 3%
 Theft Motor Vehicle – Attempt Only
 122 198 -38% 76 84 -10%
Total 1,237 1,273 -3% 611 590 4%

Source:  Winnipeg Police Crimestat website

Highlights

1.  City wide crime (for crimes tracked by Crimestat) for the first 2 months of the year is down 3%.

2.  The month of February however saw a 4% increase in crime.

3.  Auto theft was up 3% in February.

4.  Residential break-ins are down but commercial break-in are rising.

5.  Robberies are on the increase (commercial robberies up 250% in February).

6.  Dramatic percentage increase in the number of shootings although the actual numbers are still small.

Caution:  The rise (though modest) in the number of auto thefts is a concern.  After years of declines this is the first reversal I recall.  Steps should be taken to address this.

Who Hires the Next Chief of Police

About 10 years ago police and union officials were summoned to a meeting with representatives of the Manitoba Department of Justice.  The purpose of the meeting was to announce that the province had engaged the services of a consultant for the purpose of drafting a new police act and to invite police input.

In 2007 after years of inaction by the provincial government Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz announced that the City of Winnipeg would establish a Police Commission.

Once it was explained to Katz that a police Commission would usurp his power to personally run the police department (through the office of CAO) the mayor quickly changed his mind and announced the city would be forming a Police Advisory Board.  A board with no authority, just another group that could offer advice to the mayor and council.

In 2007 a by-law was enacted creating the Winnipeg Police Advisory Board.

Also in 2009 the new Manitoba Police Services Act was passed. Only Part 2 of the Act, which creates the Manitoba Police Commission, has been proclaimed.  Part of the mandate of the Manitoba Police Commission is to develop training materials for municipal police boards as well as to conduct the training.  Portions of the Act that have not as yet been proclaimed require that each municipality that has a police department also have a police board.

Also in 2009, once the provincial legislation was passed the Winnipeg Police Advisory Boards was disbanded.

Once the Police Services Act is proclaimed in its entirety, the mandate of the municipal police boards will include:

1) After consulting with the police chief, establish priorities and objectives for the police service;

(a) establish policies for the effective management of the police service;

(b) direct the police chief and monitor his or her performance;

(c) ensure that the police chief establishes programs and strategies to implement the priorities and objectives established by the board for the police service;

(d) ensure that community needs and values are reflected in the policing priorities, objectives, programs and strategies;

(e) ensure that police services are delivered in a manner consistent with community needs, values and expectations; and

(f) act as a liaison between the community and the police service.

Lastly, once the municipal police boards are constituted it will be the police board that appoints “a person with prescribed qualifications to serve as the chief of the municipal police service.”

Since 2009 the province has done little other than name the Provincial Police Commission.  The Municipal Police Boards are still off in the distance.

All of that to say this:  Because the province has been dragging its feet for a decade, Winnipeg’s next chief of police will not be hired by a police board as is the practice right across Canada.  Instead, the next chief will be hired by Phil (three monkeys) Sheegl.

The Traffic Ticket Quota Issue

A sense of déjà vu.

Back in 2010 I wrote a poston this issue.  I will reference two paragraphs from that post and remember, this was written back in 2010:

The recent attempt by the Winnipeg Police Service to impose traffic quotas was cloaked under the guise of overall officer performance, attempting to ensure that officers perform all aspects of their job.  The monitoring of officer performance in and of itself is a good strategy.  However, such a strategy will only succeed if the monitoring of traffic enforcement statistics is part of an overall performance monitoring strategy.  If traffic enforcement is the only statistic being measured while other aspects of their performance such as the numbers of arrests made are not, officers soon realize that it’s not about performance, it’s about revenue. 

As with many approaches timing is everything.  The Service’s recent foray into the traffic ticket quota minefield at a time when photo radar and traditional enforcement revenues are down and the Service is facing a budget shortfall might suggest that the need for additional revenue has trumped performance and road safety.    

It is now two years later and the Winnipeg Police Service is doing an encore performance.  Again they are facing a budget shortfall and are looking to the revenue side to address the issue and the revenue side means more tickets.

In the words of George Santayana: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

His Lips Were Moving

Recently, in an attempt to not raise property taxes the Sam asked all city departments to look at their budgets and come up with cuts.

According to news reports the Winnipeg Police Service was asked to come up with somewhere between $3 Million and $5 million.

There were, no doubt, provisos attached to the budget cutting instructions: you can’t cut the number of police officers;  you cannot cut the number of staff (which is already far below the acceptable ratio); you cannot cut the number of cadets; and above all you cannot ground the helicopter.

Once you look at the list of things that would not be politically palatable there are not many areas left (other than perhaps overtime) that could be cut that would yield savings in the $3-$5 million range.

The other option of course is to increase revenue.  Police departments don’t have many options in terms of sources that can dramatically increase revenues except fines.  Traffic fines to be precise.

According to a CTV report,  when Mayor Sam Katz was asked about a recent Winnipeg Police internal memo concerning the need to increase traffic enforcement the mayor indicated that the city is not behind the move by the Police Service to increase the number of offence notices issued (and the resulting increase in the revenue accrued to the City).

Apparently the mayor actually said, “To be frank with you, I’m not aware of that at all”.

Although I was not there and did not see or hear him say those words I’m willing to believe he said them and probably even with a straight face, but,  his lips were moving….. 

If a police department is given instructions to cut the budget but cannot touch the areas most likely to yield savings then the revenue side is the only option and traffic tickets are the prime revenue source.

“..not aware of that at all”,  Mr. Mayor?  What did you think would happen – the police would call on the friendly neighbourhood tooth fairy to deliver the goods?

School Zone Speed Limits – Part II

The motivation for conducting the poll on school zone speed limits was two-fold.  First,  I was curious as to how many people were of the opinion that  the current speed limit provisions were appropriate and how many felt they should be lowered.  Secondly, I was curious as to how many people would like to see some form of evidence that a change was needed as opposed to simply relying on the opinion of politicians or the police.

The results were as follows:  35% of  respondents had their minds made up and supported the proposed change without the need for any further evidence to support such a move.  On the other end of the spectrum 13% were prepared to leave the limits as they are.  The remaining 52% would like to see data as to the difference in accident rates between Winnipeg and other cities that have a 30KPH limits (30%) or they would like to see evidence that we currently have a problem with speeding and accidents involving children  in school zones (22%).  N=60.

That means that a full 65% of respondents don’t agree with the Chief of Police that it’s a ‘no brainer‘.

Now let me throw a couple of wrinkles into the debate.

The current speed limit in school zones is based on the posted limit on the street where the school is located.  Some schools are located on residential streets where the speed limit is 50KPH.  Others including both middle grade and high schools are located on major thoroughfares such as Portage Avenue, St. Marys Road, Main Street and Pembina Highway where the speed limit is 60 KPH.   Would it be appropriate to reduce speeds by half from 60 to 30 KPH in these streets?

The second wrinkle is the effect of already existing legislation.  Although there are speed limits, Section 95 (3) of the Highway Traffic specifically addresses situations where children are either on or near a roadway.  It says:

Reasonable and prudent speed

95(3)       No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent or in a manner that is not reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing; and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, no person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed otherwise permitted under this Act where

(a) the presence of a child on or near the highway, whether or not he is in close proximity to the grounds of a school building or a playground, dictates, in the interest of safety, a slower speed or the temporary stopping of a vehicle; or

(b) any factor exists in the face of which failure to reduce that speed, or to stop the vehicle temporarily, constitutes a danger to any person or property visible to the driver.

(source: Manitoba Highway Traffic Act)

What this means is that police already have the authority to ticket drivers in school zones who are driving faster than the existing condition would make it prudent even if they are complying with the posted speed limit.

If speeding in school zones and safety are such a burning issue that the mayor is demanding the province make the amendments to the Highway Traffic Act  right now, then why are  police not enforcing the existing provision of the Highway Traffic Act in the interim?

Could it be that it’s about revenue under the guise of safety?

If the Mayor and the Chief of Police can convince the province to lower the speed limit they can then deploy their mobile revenue generating units (photo radar) and make a killing, at least in the short-term until drivers become accustomed to the new limits, especially in areas where the reduction would be 100% , from 60 to 30 KPH.

Funny that this whole issue should come to the fore when the city is looking at ways to cut budgets (or raise revenues).  I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.

Call me old-fashioned but I side with the province on this one in terms of ‘studying’ the issue before making the decision.

If the data supports the need for such a change I’m certain most Winnipegers would support it.

By the way, where is the data on this issue?  Two possibilities are likely.  The mayor and the chief of police have not asked for it, or they have asked for it but it does not support their position.  Despite the fact that in its strategic plan the Police Service purports to be committed to intelligence led and evidence based policing, there is no evidence such an approach is being implemented in this case.   As one of my colleagues used to say, ‘why confuse the issue with facts’.

New Blog Page

Today I am introducing a new “PAGE” to the blog.  The title is Definitions.

The content on the definitions page is simultaneously satirical, whimsical and deadly serious.

The  page is still in its early stages and will be expanded on an ongoing basis.

If you have suggestions for further terms that should be included on the definitions page please send me an email with your suggestion.

Remote Controlled Aircraft for Law Enforcement

A number of counties in North Dakota are involved in a project that combines law enforcement and research.  The project,  which will test small remote controlled air craft in a law enforcement setting, is  headed up by Grand Forks deputy sheriff  Al Frazier, who is also an  assistant professor at the University of North Dakota.

The project will test a fixed wing air craft with 4 foot wing span, and a 3 foot helicopter.

The fixed wing model manufactured by AeroVironment, Inc., has an air time of over an hour and costs $175,000.  The helicopter manufactured by   Draganfly Innovations Inc., with a flight time of 30 minutes, carries a price tag of  $45,000.

Both units are equipped with cameras capable of transmitting streaming video.

Both require a 2-man crew.

A Variation of the Nigerian Money Scam

“There’s a sucker born every minute”   P. T. Barnum (1810–1891)

We all get them, emails from Nigeria or wherever offering quick cash,  an inheritance or some other money-for-nothing scheme.

They usually end up in my Spam folder (or you could call it the scam folder).  Normally I just delete such emails but the odd time I open them up to have a look and perhaps  ‘play’ with the scammer.

Recently an email arrived in my spam folder purporting to be from Western Union.  It asked for basic information and  promised  $50,000.00 (USD) in cash just for being a good Western Union customer.

Here is a copy of the email:

ESTERN UNION OFFICE DEPT. WESTERN@mail.com
Feb 17 (4 days ago)

  
to undisclosed recipients
Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information.  Learn more
Dear Western Union Customer,You have been awarded with the sum of $50,000 USD by our office, as one of our customers who use Western Union in their daily business transaction. This award was been selected through the internet, where your e-mail address was indicated and notified. Please provide Mr. Gary Epps with the following details listed below so that your fund will be remited to you through Western Union.

1.  Name:______
2. Address________
3. Country:_______
4. Phone Number____
5. Occupation:________
6. Sex:_________________
7. Age___________________
Mr.Gary Epps
E-mail: wu_africadep01@admin.in.thAs soon as these details are received and verified, your fund will be transferred to you.Thank you, for using western union.

There are many ‘hints’ here that should alert anyone that this is a scam.  Here are some of the basic ones:

1.  Western Union (or any other reputable company) does not do random $50,000.00 give aways.

2.  Spelling and grammar errors  “Estern”, “remited”, “was been”.

2.  The email implies I am a regular Western Union customer, which I am not.

3.  The ‘selection’ was made through the internet.  You can’t win something unless you have a ticket.

4.  There is a request for personal information.

5.  The return email address contains the word ‘Africa’.

6.  The message came complete with a warning from my email service indicating the message might not be from whom it claims to be.

Being in a ‘playful’ mood I decided to respond to the email and have some fun with the scammer.  The way I look at it is this – whatever amount of time I am able to tie the scammer up, the less time he has to scam others.   ‘Playing’  with scammers is really a public service.

I sent the following information: name  John Smith; a fictitious address  (no city, province or country provided).  I indicated I was a 60-year-old retired male with no phone.
A few days later I received the following response:
 

WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER
Address: No. 5 Western Avenue,
West Africa, Nigeria 
Tel: +234 703 459 6626Dear: John Smith,

You have been awarded with the sum of $50,000 USD by our office, as one of our customers who use Western Union in their daily business transaction. This award was been selected through the internet, where your e-mail address was indicated and notified.Your details have been received and verified, your fund will be transferred to you. as a way to thank you for using western union.If you are  ready to pick up this $10,000.00 sent twice your name and address . We have concluded to effect your payment through western union $10,000.00 daily until the $50,000.00 USD is completely transferred.

You are going to be paying €100 Euro daily to get the first  M.T.C.N Numbers of $10,000Usd for the transfer of your funds remitted to you daily until we complete transfer of your funds worth $50,000.00USD. Here is the information of the first daily payment of €100 via Western Union Money Transfer. You have to send the sum of 150 usd here to transfer the first sum of 10,000 USD.  PAYMENT INSTRUCTION’S
  :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Recievers Name:  Roland Owen
 
Recievers Address: 5 Western Avenue, Nigeria
  
TextQuestion:Realationship Answer:Friend 
 
AMOUNT SENT:(€)100 EQUIVALENT:$150 USD
 
 
Upon receipt of the payment we shall call or email you the first M.T.C.N numbers of the first $10,000 Usd remitted. Remember that, as soon as the payment is made send down to us your payment receipt or the M.T.C.N numbers to our email for verification. Note: You have to keep this confidential to avoid double claim of M..T.C.N numbers.
 
Regards,
Mr. Gary Epps  (Transfer Manager)
WESTERN UNION MONEY TRANSFER
This second email contained further clues:
1.   “NIGERIA“.
2.  A confirmation that the details  provided have been verified (not possible as they were fictitious).
3.  Spelling and grammar flags, i.e. “sent twice your name and address”, “was been”, “Instruction’s”, “Recievers”, “Realationship”.
4.  The big hint: a request for money up front to facilitate the transfer of funds.
5.  Instruction to keep this matter confidential.
At this point almost all the bases in the classic Nigerian email scam have been covered.
Going back into ‘play’ mode I responded as follows:
This is very nice but I don’t have $150.00 so I’ll tell you what, you send me the first 10,000 and I’ll give you 10%   (that would be 1000) when I get it.  I’ll then be able to pay you the 150 on the next 4 transfers of 10,000 until I get my whole 50,000.  Once I get the entire 50,000 I will send you a bonus of 5,000.

Kindest regards
Having done this before I know scammers don’t like being scammed so I doubt I’ll be getting a further response.
But you never know, he may be the persistent sort.

School Zone Speed Limits

Should the speed limit in school zones  be reduced from 50 KPH to 30 KPH?

The mayor likes the idea and the Chief of Police says it’s a ‘no brainer’.

What do you think?

January 2012 Crime Data

January 2012 Crime Statistics for Winnipeg  (for crimes tracked by Crimestat)

Crime Type Year-to-Date Comparison Selected Filter Comparison
Jan 1, 2012
To
Feb 4, 2012		 Jan 1, 2011
To
Feb 4, 2011		 % Change Jan 1, 2012
To
Jan 31, 2012		 Jan 1, 2011
To
Jan 31, 2011		 % Change
 Break & Enters – Commercial
 85 63 35% 79 51 55%
 Break & Enters – Other
 83 62 34% 81 61 33%
 Break & Enters – Residential
 186 188 -1% 167 155 8%
 Homicide
 1 3 -67% 1 3 -67%
 Robbery – Commercial/Financial
 22 39 -44% 19 38 -50%
 Robbery – Non-Commercial/Financial
 131 110 19% 122 97 26%
 Sexual Assault
 11 18 -39% 10 18 -44%
 Shooting
 6 2 200% 6 2 200%
 Theft Motor Vehicle – Actual
 85 161 -47% 72 144 -50%
 Theft Motor Vehicle – Attempt Only
 49 129 -62% 46 114 -60%
Total 659 775 -15% 603 683 -12%

Source:  Winnipeg Police Crimestat Website

Highlights

1.  City wide crime (for crimes tracked by Crimest) is down 12%.  Districts 2, 3 and the East District  show reductions, Districts 1 and 6 show increases.

2.  The Auto Theft Strategy (perhaps the only true evidence based initiative the WPS is using) continues to show impressive results in terms of crime reduction.

3.  When the auto theft category (actual and attempt)  is removed,  crime (for crimes tracked by Crimestat) is up 14% city-wide.

2.  Muggings are up 26%.

3.  Commercial robberies are down 50%.

4.  All three categories of break-ins are up between 8 and 55%.