Winnipeg’s chief of police, Danny Smyth, attributed the city’s crime increase to the addiction crisis as well as the strain of the pandemic in his year-end interview with Global News.
He says an increased strain on mental health during the pandemic has led to more violence in the city, including a rise in homicides.
“In the last three years, they have been higher than our average,” he said. “We typically would manage around 25 homicides a year.”
Smyth says in the last three years the city has seen numbers into the 40s, with a stabbing in Elmwood on the 20th of December being the 41st for the year.
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“We are in the midst of an addiction crisis, certainly the strain on people’s mental health as we have come through the pandemic. I think all of these things are contributing to some of the things we are seeing in the field.” Smyth said.
This will be Smyth’s final full year leading the force as he plans to retire in the new year on Sept. 3.
“I hit 60 last year so I had always sorta planned on going around this time. I think there’s enough distance between us and the pandemic now, so it’s a appropriate time to be able to pass the torch on to the next generation,” he said.