WINNIPEG — Winnipeg police were involved in around 75 per cent more police pursuits last year than in 2014.
Officers were involved in 73 pursuits in 2015 compared to just 42 the year prior. The 73 police chases are the highest since 66 occurred in 2010.
“You never want to see these kinds of numbers increasing because as the report says when vehicle pursuits are up, there’s an increased risk to public safety,” police board chair Scott Gillingham said.
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The numbers come from a report that will be discussed at a police board meeting at City Hall on Friday. The report cites an uptick in stolen vehicles as a major factor in the jump in police pursuit numbers.
Of the 73 pursuits last year, 59 per cent were related to a stolen vehicle.
The Winnipeg Police Union attributes the elevated stolen vehicle numbers to a reduced complement in the service’s stolen vehicle unit.
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“Approximately two years ago there was some diversion of funding from the stolen auto unit which saw a decrease of the members within that unit,” said Maurice Sabourin, president of the Association.
However, the police service disputes that. They acknowledge there are less officers in that unit now but say their approach to stopping auto theft has changed and now involved more analysts working on smart-policing initiatives.
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The increase in stolen vehicles and the higher number of pursuits will be discussed at Friday’s meeting, Gillingham said.
“Obviously if the trend is going upwards in stolen autos then it may be time to re-address the issue,” he said.
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He also plans to ask how many police pursuits have happened year-to-date and what effect the police helicopter has had on them.