MILTON'S CRIME RATE IS WAY DOWN: POLICE CHIEF

Milton's crime rate has gone down substantially so far this year over last,
according to Halton's top cop.

In fact, as of June the rate had dropped by 16.4 per cent locally, Halton
Regional Police Chief Ean Algar told Milton council in a presentation Monday
night.

Milton's crime rate was also down last year, he said, dropping by 20.8 per
cent over 2003, or 271 fewer crimes committed. This statistic goes along
with Halton's crime rate being at its lowest level in 30 years.

"I feel it's a good news story," Chief Algar said.

He attributed the decline to a combination of things, such as the higher
income levels in Halton and increased community involvement with the police
force.

He also told council that there've been 69 fewer criminal offences in Milton
in the first six months of this year than last year, or a 5.8 per cent drop
from 1,195 offences to 1,126.

Crimes of violence went down, too, by 8.1 per cent, going from 136 at the
half-year mark in 2004 to 115 this year.

He noted motor vehicle collisions in Milton had climbed slightly by June,
going up 2.3 per cent over last year.

In 2004, the number of collisions had actually gone down by 3.2 per cent.
Fatal collisions were also down last year, going from six in 2003 to four.

Of the incidents police responded to last year in Milton, Chief Algar
reported almost five per cent of them were at Maplehurst Correctional
Complex.

He also touched on grow operations, noting from 2002 to June this year, 45
'grow files' on probable illegal operations were initiated in Milton and 16
are still outstanding, meaning police haven't been able to execute a
warrant. Region-wide, 500 grow files were initiated and 138 are still
outstanding.

During that same time period, four controlled drug and substance search
warrants were obtained for Milton, while 86 were acquired throughout Halton.

Also, 372 plants were seized locally and four people were charged. Across
the region, these numbers were 17,533 and 133 respectively.

"This (grow houses) is a major concern throughout all of Canada," he said.

Besides the falling crime rate, the calls for service in Milton and Halton
are expected to be lower this year than last. Chief Algar said based on
calls received by June, 13,336 calls in Milton are anticipated this year,
down from 13,608 in 2004.

The total calls across Halton are expected to go down from 97,617 in 2004 to
95,606.

"We welcome that trend and we hope it will continue," he said.

After the presentation, Ward 3 Councillor Jan Mowbray commended Halton's
police force, saying she's really impressed with the caliber of its members.

She also requested that there be an increased police presence on the
streets, noting it's one of the biggest concerns she hears from residents.

Chief Algar told The Champion that Halton police always have deployment to
respond to community concerns on traffic safety. If a certain area seems to
be particularly problematic, he said it can be prioritized.

When asked at council about what Miltonians can expect to see down the road
when it comes to crime, Chief Algar noted that chemical drugs are becoming a
growing trend -- not just in Halton but across Ontario -- along with
Internet crime.

If the chemical drug problem continues to rise, he said police would have to
look at initiating special projects to deal with it.

He pointed out the force has officers who are specializing in dealing with
Internet crimes.