SURREY — Newton and Whalley have once again proven to be home to the majority of Surrey's violent crimes, and South Surrey to the least, according to crime statistics from the first quarter of 2014.
There were 1,370 violent crimes reported in the first three months of this year, compared to 1,346 in 2013. This year, 889 were in Newton and Whalley, with 878 in those communities in last year's first quarter.
Sexual assaults were up slightly up, with 57 reported cases this year, and 53 in the same quarter in 2013. Nearly half of the reported sexual assaults - 28 - happened in Newton, and the remaining 29 were spread out throughout other parts of the city.
Sexual assaults in Whalley were down by 50 per cent compared to the same time last year, from 18 cases in the first three months of 2013 to nine cases in this year's first quarter.
There were a total of 718 reported assaults in the city during that time, with 235 of those in Newton and 264 of those in Whalley. In Guildford/Fleetwood 133 were reported, 55 in Cloverdale/Port Kells and 31 in South Surrey. Overall, there was not much of a change in the number of assaults from the same quarter in 2013, with a rise of two per cent.
There were 165 reported robberies during the first three months of this year, down from 175 at the same time last year. Of the 165, 52 were in Whalley, 51 in Guildford/Fleetwood, 41 in Newton, 12 in Cloverdale/Port Kells and nine in South Surrey.
Homicides took a major dip - 91 per cent - in the first three months of this year compared to 2013 with one homicide across the city, compared to 11 during the same time last year.
Meanwhile, property crimes have gone up 27 per cent in quarter one this year, compared to last, with the majority being in Newton.
In the first quarter of 2013, Whalley was home to the most vehicle theft in the city. This year, Guildford/Fleetwood had the most. Of the 950 reported vehicles stolen in 2014’s first quarter, 277 were in Guildford/Fleetwood, Whalley was close behind with 271, Newton had 203, South Surrey had 105 and Cloverdale/Port Kells has 94.
Surrey's crime statistics from the first quarter of 2014 were set to be reviewed at the City of Surrey's police committee Monday morning.
areid@thenownewspaper.com