Ottawa's crime rate drops again

Ottawa's crime rate continues to decline, according to the annual report of the Ottawa Police Service.

The report, released Monday,shows a drop of 4.5 per cent in 2010, and that's on the heels of a 2.6 per cent decline the previous year.

That means Ottawa's crime rate already well below the national average is also falling faster than in other cities.

The biggest decline is in the area of property crime. Crimes against the person a category that includes violent crime are down by five per cent, but property crimes are down eight per cent, said Randy Mar, the civilian director of planning, performance and analytics for the police service.

"We're seeing a decline across the board, between mischief to property, break and enters, thefts from vehicles, and even minor thefts as well," Mar said.

The drop in the crime rate didn't happen just because people are reporting fewer crimes. In fact, calls for service rose six per cent last year, the report says.

"Our best-case scenario is crime goes down, and calls for service go up. It means the public is engaged. They expect us to respond, and they want to help us make this a safer city," said Police Chief Vern White.

More calls doesn't necessarily mean more crime, said White.

"They're talking about a vehicle they've seen three times in a row at the dead-end street. Maybe it's people parking, maybe it's not. As much as sometimes they're a hassle for us, we want them engaged and calling us about different issues," he said.

The one category of crime that shows a sharp increase of almost 30 per cent is the one that includes bail violations and failure to appear in court. Police say that's a sign of a more aggressive campaign to make sure people on bail and probation are respecting their curfews and conditions.