According to Statistics Canada, Hamilton saw the third-highest increase in violent crimes last year over 2015.
The 20 per cent rise is due in large part to a series of robberies and home invasions in the city, the report says. There were 39 home invasion robberies in 2015 and 69 in 2016. There have already been 32 cases reported in 2017.
Only Brantford at 27 per cent and Sherbrooke, Que., at 25 per cent saw greater increases in violent crime rates.
However, the overall number of violent crimes in Hamilton continues to decline. Violent crime in Hamilton remains 37 per cent lower than a decade ago.
StatsCan uses a weighted formula based on the severity of crime and average sentence handed down by the courts in coming up with its numbers.
There have been 21 shootings so far in Hamilton this year, just short of the 22 total shootings in 2016. There were 14 shootings in 2015 and seven in 2014.
Child sexual assaults rose 192 per cent from 2015 (43) to 2016 (127).
Overall, Hamilton’s national crime index statistics rank in the middle and close to the provincial average.
Statistics Canada numbers show Burlington is the safest municipality in Canada. It’s the eighth consecutive year the region has held this top spot.