Calls for police service in Victoria and Esquimalt have decreased for a third consecutive month, and overall crime numbers for the year have also fallen, the Victoria Police Board heard last week.
The Victoria Police Department's latest report on crime trends in the two municipalities, which covers all of 2011 up to the end of September, shows significant reductions in a number of areas, including crimes against people and property, both of which have dropped by nearly 16 per cent compared to the same period in 2010.
Overall, there was a 10.5 per cent decrease in all Canadian Criminal Code offences excluding traffic offences.
However, police are expecting that some of the numbers will rise once October figures have been tabulated, thanks largely to the ongoing Occupy Victoria protest in Centennial Square, where the department has had to attend calls on a daily basis.
But the board and its chair, Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin, were still pleased to hear of the downward trend.
"It's great to see the numbers continuing to go down," Fortin said. "Let's keep up the good work."
The report shows a 9.6 per cent decrease in the total number of calls for police service over the same period last year.