WATERLOO REGION — Crime has been surging in the region for three years, erasing safety gains made in the last decade.

The trend was revealed in annual crime statistics released by Statistics Canada on Monday.

The new numbers show that almost 16 violent crimes were reported to local police on an average day in 2017. That's up from just over 11 violent crimes per average day in 2014.

Based on population, it's a 32 per cent increase in the rate of violence over three years, and brings the community to the same rate of violence it last experienced in 2010.

There were more sexual assaults, assaults, robberies, criminal harassment and threats reported to local police last year.

The local crime statistics follow a national trend. Police-reported crime has increased for three years, after an 11-year downward trend that lasted from 2003 to 2014, Statistics Canada says.

Waterloo Regional Police Chief Bryan Larkin points to drug addicts and to crimes committed to supply them.

"Our big challenge is that we have a significant drug issue throughout our region. And that drives a significant amount of crime. It drives a significant amount of public disorder," he said

Property crimes have reached their highest level since 2010, with 49 reported on an average day in 2017 — an increase from 43 property crimes per average day in 2014.

Police reported 414 sexual assaults last year, up from 282 in 2016.

"Research shows that it's an under-reported crime. I anticipate that number will continue to grow," Larkin said. He noted advocacy to increase the reporting of sexual assaults, and to changes police intend to make in investigating them.

Fraud is also on the rise, with six reported on an average day in 2017, up from fewer than four frauds reported per average day in 2013.

Waterloo Region ranks in the middle among 33 big Canadian cities for public safety, measuring the severity of its crime and the number of crimes reported. A crime is more severe if it merits harsher punishment.

The region saw a greater increase in the severity of its crime than most cities in 2017.

"I think relatively we have a very safe community. We have a collaborative community that is focused on addressing root causes," Larkin said.

"We need to continue to really focus on managing how we deal with illegal and illicit drug trafficking, because with that comes violent crime."

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Larkin said he supports a controversial proposal to open safe injection sites for drug addicts, limit soaring deaths from overdoses and constrain disease. "It's one tool in the tool box," he said.

Police reported 348 robberies last year, up from 201 in 2014. Charges were laid against 145 people, but roughly two-thirds of robberies went unsolved.

The police chief referred to a rise in muggings in Waterloo campus areas.

"We've seen some significant targeting in the UpTown Waterloo-university district in the last two years, despite a number of arrests being made," he said.

Muggers in campus areas typically attack in the early morning hours. "They're preying on vulnerable people, people that have been out consuming, who may be inebriated," Larkin said.

Police reported 2,382 break-and-enters in 2017, up from 1,935 three years earlier.

"Our break-and-enters across the region continue to be cause for concern," Larkin said. "I think the underlying current to that is we have a significant drug challenge in our region."

Break-and-enters, theft from vehicles and shoplifting all "speak to the challenges of addiction in our community."

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