Halifax sees jump in theft during first quarter of 2018: police statistics

According to new statistics from police, Halifax Regional  Municipality (HRM) saw an increase in theft during the first quarter of 2018 when compared to the same time last year.

The data, part of a presentation that will be delivered to the municipality’s Board of Police Commissioners on Tuesday, indicates that both of the police forces operating in the HRM — Halifax Regional Police and RCMP — have seen a dramatic increase in the number of incidents involving theft less than $5,000, as well as the number of incidents involving theft greater than $5,000.

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Police say that they had 36 offences of theft under $5,000 between January 1 and March 31.

It’s a figure that is a 56 per cent increase in the number of incidents recorded during the same period last year (23).

According to police, property offences — which include theft, fraud, and break-ins — accounted for 47 per cent of the total number of offences in the first quarter of 2018.

Police say that they saw 361 more offences involving theft over $5,000 than they did last year.

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In total, there were 1382 offences of theft over $5,000, a 30.4 per cent increase over the 2017 figure.

Other highlights of the data include a single increase in homicides from the same period last year, as well as an increase in the number of drug offences by 8, or 3.8 per cent from last year (260).

The offences do not necessarily mean a successful trial and conviction on the charge.