Windsor's overall crime rate is trending downward for 2014 even though calls for service are on the rise.
Windsor police deputy chief Vince Powers says the increasing number of calls has been the trend over the past five years. "There's many calls that aren't even criminal code related," says Powers. "A great majority of our calls for service are not criminal, but people call the police and the police respond. I'm pleased with that and we're certainly going to be there when 911 gets called."
Powers says sexual assaults are down 24% and robberies fell 20% year to date.
He also says calls relating to mental health issues have gone up. "Over the last few years they have noticeably increased," says Powers. "(One) night we probably had five units tied up at one hospital, at one particular time. It's a drain on resources all day long, there's no doubt about that."