‘It’s a complex conversation’: Windsor Police report rise in youth crime

Windsor has seen a significant increase in year-over-year youth crime in the city. CTV Windsor’s Michelle Maluske has the details.

The Windsor Police Service is reporting a rise in youth crime.

Assaults, mischiefs and shoplifting are all up, according to statistics released by the WPS.

They compared statistics for September 2024 to September 2025:

• Assaults are up 50 per cent.
• Shoplifting incidents rose from 11 to 24; a 118 per cent increase.
• Mischief cases jumped from 21 to 51; a 143 per cent increase.

“We recognize that by virtue of their age, sometimes they don’t make the best decisions,” Inspector Jen Crosby told CTV News in a recent interview.

“I don’t think you can attribute it to any one thing. It’s a number of factors,”

Crosby says it could be economic factors forcing the youth to steal food to eat, or social peer pressure to fit in or simply to get attention from parents or teachers.

“It’s a complex conversation,” she says.

Police also report 26 per cent of accused youth offenders so far in 2025, are repeat offenders.

“I’m not surprised at all,” Joanna Conrad, Executive Director of Youth Diversion tells CTV News. “They’re getting younger, and the offences are becoming more and more concerning.”

Conrad has noticed an increase in the number of referrals for youth who are accused of shoplifting.

“We haven’t seen high shoplifting rates in years. And so, the fact that this is now coming through is telling me they’re stealing because either they want the stuff, they want money from the stuff which they plan to sell, or they’re hungry and they’re stealing food,” Conrad explains.

What can be done?

In January 2024, Windsor Police created the role of Youth Crime Constable to work in the Special Victims Unit.

Since then, ‘warnings’ under the Youth Criminal Justice Act have gone up 288 per cent.

According to the YCJA, a warning can be given by police “before starting judicial proceedings” if they believe it will “be sufficient” to deter the “young person not to commit offences.”

When those warnings aren’t enough Windsor’s Youth Crime Constable has also increased the number of charges under the YCJA by three per cent.

For less serious offences and younger offenders (under age 12), many will be referred to Youth Diversion for counselling, therapy and other supports.

“They’re coming through oftentimes in pairs or in groups, which is telling us that there’s an element of peer pressure that’s involved,” which Conrad believes is fueled by a desire for social status symbols.

“Whether it’s Air Jordans, whether it’s iPads, whatever it’s Nike’s like, you name, whatever the things that they want, they’re not maybe able to attain. Maybe (their) parents can’t afford it,” Conrad explains.

What she no longer ‘blames’ is the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I feel kids are quite resilient and we’ve moved on from that,” she says.

Most of their referrals come from police or schools but they do take referrals from parents.