Overall crime went up in Windsor in 2017 according to the local police service.
Crime statistics for last year were presented to members of the Windsor police board during its meeting Thursday at police headquarters. While the overall rate was up, some specific forms of crime went down in 2017.
The stats were presented by Windsor Police Superintendent Pam Mizuno. She said 2,166 crimes against people were reported in 2017, a 1% drop from 2016.
However, a surge in property crime accounted for most of the overall increase. 10,433 property crimes were handled by Windsor Police in 2017, up from less than 9,500 the year before for a 10% increase.
Mizuno said this surge in property crime might be related to the current opioid epidemic.
"It coincides with the street check legislation as well as the opioid issues within the community," said Mizuno. "Whether that's a causal factor or just coincides is to be determined."
Drug enforcement itself in 2017 produced a significant drop in people charged with drug offences. In 2016, 126 people were arrested in Windsor on drug charges. That number dropped to 74 last year.
One constant aspect of the crime report is the service's clearance rate, which Mizuno said remains high.
"Our Criminal Code clearance rate remained at about 80%, and it was 80% last year," said Mizuno. "So again, that speaks to the effectiveness of our police service. As well it also speaks to the partnerships with the stakeholders in the community as well as the community itself."