Timmins police say violent crime, drug offences rose in first quarter

Timmins police have released crime statistics for the first three months of the year, showing increases in several categories, including violent crime and drug

Officials with the Timmins Police Service have released crime statistics for the first three months of the year, showing increases in several categories -- including violent crime and drug offences -- compared to the same time period in 2025.

The figures were presented during a recent Timmins Police Service Board meeting, where Deputy Chief Darren Dinel said violent crime increased by more than nine per cent in the first quarter, including one homicide.

“What we noticed most notably was that the weapons calls for service that we attended to, those increased over the course of January to March,” said Dinel.

He said the calls involved a wide range of weapons-related incidents.

“That could be any type of weapon. Those are not necessarily just firearms or knives,” Dinel said.

“That could be baseball bats. It could actually be somebody throwing something at somebody or anything like that.”

Drug offences up 50%

Police also reported a 50 per cent increase in drug offences, while social disorder incidents rose nearly 54 per cent.

Dinel said many of the social disorder calls involved officers helping community partners and outreach workers who asked for police support while providing services in the community.

He said police are taking the increase in incidents seriously.

“It’s a snapshot of three months of our year,” said Dinel.

“So again, as I said, it is concerning and we are monitoring it.”

Traffic collisions also increased during the quarter, something Dinel attributed to a long winter and difficult road conditions.

He added that patrol officers will also be increasing enforcement involving electric vehicles and other alternative modes of transportation operating illegally on city roads.

“If it doesn’t have ownership, insurance and all of those pieces to it, then those shouldn’t be on the road, and they’ll be removed from the road by the police,” said Dinel.

A public education campaign is expected to roll out in the coming weeks, followed by enforcement targeting unsafe or illegal vehicles on Timmins roads.