Home break-ins down, Station 3 and 5 report

Station 3

Île Bizard, Pierrefonds, Ste. Geneviève

Crime in the Station 3 territory was generally down in 2007 compared to 2006. According to Const. Daniel Maheu, hold-ups decreased by 9.8 per cent, from 41 in 2006 to 37 last year. Armed robberies in stores and businesses were also down by 21.6 per cent, from 37 in 2006 to 29 in 2007. There were no bank hold-ups last year, compared to two in 2006.

Residential break-ins in the Station 3 territory were down 14.3 per cent from 343 in 2006 to 294 in 2007. Maheu said the decline was in part due to a major arrest police made in August 2007. Police are currently investigating over 100 home break-in cases dating back to 2005 that the suspect may have been involved with.

Commerce break-ins were down 7.9 per cent as well, from 63 in 2006 to 58 in 2007.

Car thefts were down from 252 in 2006 to 223 in 2007, an 11.5 per cent drop. As for thefts in cars, there was a 15.8 per cent drop, from 165 in 2006 to 139 in 2007.

However, while the number of attempted murders was down in 2007, there were two homicides in the Station 3 territory last year, compared to one in 2006.

Traffic accidents resulting in injury were also up 9.4 per cent to 138 in 2007 from 125 in 2006. There was also one traffic accident resulting in death in 2007, the same number as in 2006.

“The main issue is speeding,” Maheu said, adding there are now more traffic officers on the roads and that he is expecting a much lower number of accidents in 2008.

Police Station 5

Dorval, L’Île-Dorval, Pointe-Claire

Police Station 5 Const. Lilliana Bellucci attributes the decrease in break-ins and car-thefts in Dorval and Pointe Claire in 2007 to good collaboration with the community.

“The public is our eyes and ears,” she said. “We have a great, great cooperation.”

Residential break-ins were down 39.3 per cent last year, from 397 in 2006 to 241 in 2007. There was a 20.7 per cent decrease in store and business break-ins, which dropped from 304 in 2006 to 241 in 2007.

Vehicle thefts were down 21.7 per cent, from 762 in 2006 to 597 in 2007, as were vehicle break-ins, which were down 19 per cent, from 494 in 2006 to 400 in 2007. The drop is, in part, thanks to heightened security at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, Bellucci said.

While armed robberies in stores and businesses were down 16.2 per cent, from 37 in 2006 to 31 in 2007, hold-ups on people were up slightly from 38 in 2006 to 40 in 2007, a difference of five per cent.