There was a dramatic increase in carjackings and jewelry store robberies in 2024, according to a new report by the Waterloo Regional Police Service. Chief Mark Crowell held a roundtable Monday to give the public an overview of the crimes they responded to in the community. Homicides Police investigated five homicides last year, the same as 2023. Shootings Waterloo Regional Police said they investigated 22 shootings in 2024, a 22 per cent increase from the year before. Five incidents were reported in Cambridge: Another four happened in Waterloo: Kitchener had the greatest number of shootings, with a total of 13: Gun-involved crimes While shootings increased in 2024, police said there were only 97 violent firearm offences. That represented a 17 per cent drop from 2023. Weapons Police said they seized 1,088 weapons last year, versus 1,096 in 2023. Drugs Police also shared a breakdown of the drugs they seized in 2024, as compared to the year before. Marijuana Methamphetamine Fentanyl Cocaine Heroin Ecstasy/MDMA Oxycodone (pills) Robberies There were nine jewelry store robberies in 2024, an increase of 80 per cent from the year before. In contrast, pharmacy robberies dropped 55 per cent year-over-year. Police said only five were reported in 2023. There were 156 person-on-person robberies in 2024, a drop of 11 per cent from the year before. In total, 286 robberies were reported to police. Vehicle thefts Police said there were 20 carjackings last year, representing a 100 per cent increase from the year before. The report also looked at vehicle thefts in the region. Investigations Believed to be organized crime reprogramming thefts Attempted organized crime reprogramming thefts Traffic charges Police said fatal crashes increased by 70 per cent in 2024, with a total of 17 deaths. Most other road-related charges, meanwhile, dropped slightly: Speeding Distracted driving Impaired driving Dangerous driving Seatbelt Highway Traffic Act violations Public Order Unit The Public Order Unit (POU) was deployed 34 times in 2024. The unit responds to large-scale incidents including protests, demonstrations and annual events. Waterloo Regional Police said it was the most deployments since 2019, a direct response to an increase in local events. Swatting calls In 2024, there were 26 swatting calls made in Waterloo Region. Those calls usually involved a false report to first responders, with the aim of getting emergency responders to go to a specific location. Police said they saw a dramatic increase in swatting calls last year, wasting “hundreds of personnel hours responding and investigating.” Hate crimes “Since 2019, the amount of hate-motivated crime has increased every year,” police said in their report. Data, provided by WRPS, showed reported incidents nearly doubled between 2022 and 2023. Other The report also gave an overview of the mental health-related incidents they responded to in 2024. Overall, they said their mental health response teams were dispatched 1,159 times. They broke down the calls to IMPACT, the force’s Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team: Police said officers were called to four or five suicide attempts every day.
