Pubdate: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 Source: Hamilton Spectator (CN ON) Copyright: The Hamilton Spectator 2001 Contact: http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/ Author: Deborah Churchill POLICE VOW TO STAMP OUT MUGGINGS Hamilton Police Chief Ken Robertson says a growing crack cocaine problem in the city's core has led to a surge in muggings and purse snatchings. Robertson described the trend as "disturbing" and for the second time in three years vowed to crack down on the violent street crimes through beefed up police patrols and specialized task forces. In February 1999, after a rash of what police believed to be crack-related muggings, he told The Spectator he would not let this type of crime flourish in Hamilton. "There's a direct relationship between street violence and crack cocaine, and we're not going to tolerate that here," he said. Yet the numbers have continued to rise. There were 318 such robberies (268 muggings and 50 purse snatchings) last year. In 1999, there were 284 robberies (245 muggings and 39 purse snatchings). Overall, police recorded 540 robberies across the city last year, a 16-per-cent-increase over the five-year average. Robertson again pointed to crack houses and crack cocaine abusers as the cause of this increase. He said the influx of crack cocaine in Hamilton started about two years ago and that the city now has a number of crack houses, with the threat of more popping up. Despite the increased robbery figures, which were released at the police services board meeting yesterday, Robertson insists he's not losing his battle against crack cocaine. "There are some areas where we need to concentrate our efforts, but the citizens in this community should be reassured that the front-line officers and detectives are committed to providing them with a good quality of life." Deputy Chief Bruce Elwood said police have already targeted the area around Copps Coliseum, which has resulted in a decrease in muggings in that neighbourhood. This is a significant issue because if police are not able to tackle this problem successfully, the streets become less safe and more people fear being victimized. Robertson said muggings are robberies rather than thefts because they often involve violence. He said the attacks usually occur on the street late at night when the victims are most vulnerable and can be quite terrifying. Muggers are almost always looking for fast cash to feed their drug habit. The rise in robberies in Hamilton tarnished an otherwise favourable year-end crime statistics report, which saw an almost across-the-board drop in crime. The number of violent crimes, which includes homicides, attempted murder, sexual assaults, and assaults, dropped to 6,073, which is 3.9 per cent fewer than the five-year average. "This is a good news story. Crime in this community is down and the number of arrests is up," Robertson adds. He said property crimes are at an all-time low with a decrease of 15.7 per cent -- 20,497 compared to the five-year average of 24,328. The BEAR (Break, Enter, Auto, Theft and Robbery) task force, a group of 24 officers dedicated to curbing property and violent crime, is being credited for both the decrease in these types of crimes and the increase in clearance rates. The police force was widely criticized last year for its low clearance rates (the percentage of cases either solved or closed without laying charges) compared to other cities such as Burlington, London or Toronto. "Our clearance rates weren't what they should have been . . . we were making arrests in the past, but we weren't clearing other crimes (by the same person)," Elwood said. "Now we do follow-ups to clear outstanding unsolved crimes." - --- MAP posted-by: Beth