York Region police are reporting a sizable increase in stunt driving and domestic incidents while there’s an overall drop in crimes in the last month amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act came into effect on March 17, stunt driving charges have increased by 64 per cent, domestic incidents have increased 22 per cent and vehicle theft has increased by 28 per cent, according to the York police report Tuesday.

“While the reduction in overall traffic on our roads has resulted in a decrease in traffic violations, the empty streets have brought on an increase in stunt driving charges related to extremely dangerous and excessive speeds,” the report states.

Traffic violations have decreased by 35 per cent, impaired driving fell by 23 per cent and weapons offences by 14 per cent, according to the same report.

Overall, crime in York Region is down 18 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Since the emergency act came into effect, York police have responded to more than 1,400 complaints and have laid 17 charges.

Const. Laura Nicolle said the majority of those charges were for non-essential businesses being opened, and many of the complaints were for social gatherings of more than five people.

“While all of the health recommendations should be followed, not all of them are necessarily an offence,” Nicolle told the Star.

The charges under the emergency act is failing to comply with an order made during a declared emergency.

David Venn is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star’s radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @davidvenn_