statscanadaAfter a five year downward trend, the crime rate for the Abbotsford-Mission area went up 7% in 2014, something the Abbotsford Police aren’t happy about.

Constable Ian MacDonald with the Abbypd says there are a couple of possible factors.

“The increase in the theft of autos and theft from autos, as well as what we’ve been talking about through the bulk of 2014 which is the ongoing confict between two groups in west Abbotsford.”

Among the 33 metropolitan areas listed in the StatsCanada report on crime rates in 2014, Abbotsford-Mission had the sixth highest crime rate in the country.

In fact BC cities in general tended to have higher crime rates than the rest of the country, and MacDonald says it’s possible that’s due to the weather out here in the winter being nicer.

“We do see trends and changes, for example even in the Fraser Valley when the weather gets really cold we don’t see a lot of thefts. We don’t see a lot of petty crimes taking place. And of course in colder weather there’s fewer people out and about that could potentially be victims of street robberies.”