NEWS

Crime rates are down as the city fights the coronavirus

As the coronavirus cases in Toronto continue to rise, crimes have been falling, police say.

“Crimes against property damage and theft have decreased significantly,” says Toronto police media relations officer Allison Sparkes. “We’ve also seen a drop in assault and car theft.”

However, some kinds of crimes have been increasing since the pandemic began, Sparkes warned.

“Fear of the coronavirus have led to more internet scams, fake cures and fraudulent government and insurance bulletins,” she said.

Last week Ontario premier Doug Ford announced a bylaw to stop people hoarding essential items. If they are caught, they face penalties ranging from $750 to $1,000.

Since March 6, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has reported an increase of calls ranging from personal information to fake Covid-19 testings. The elderly are most vulnerable to these scams and they must be alerted immediately, a centre representative said.

Not everyone is expecting the tend toward lower crime to continue for much longer.

Jason Cooper, 38, a resident in the Eglinton and Bayview area believes the drop in crime wouldn’t last as long as everyone thinks it will.

“Obviously the drop is because of the social isolation and social distancing that the government brought,” Cooper said. “But once the city goes into a full shutdown, I believe we’ll see more theft and crime.”