Hanover, Ont. arrests doubling in 2021 not due to rise in crime, say police

The Hanover Police Service detachment was a busy place in 2021. Hanover officers arrested 560 people last year. They normally arrest about 253.

“The numbers are virtually double what they have been over the past four years on average,” says Hanover police Deputy Chief George Hebblethwaite.

But the rise in arrests is not actually due to a rise in crime, says Hebblethwaite. People missing their court dates, which have been mostly virtual for the past two years, is mostly to blame.

“There has been a modest increase in actual charges year over year, but the vast majority of that increase can be attributed to a recidivism, repeat situation, where people are not attending their required virtual court dates, and then we see them, pick them up, bring them back to the station, release them with another document for court,” he says.

Hebblethwaite says a portion of the increased arrest numbers can be attributed to just a few repeat offenders missing their virtual court dates.

“There’s a handful of folks that we have dealt with like that, six to nine times this past year. So, that certainly inflates the numbers somewhat,” he says.

Hanover police aren’t alone. The Saugeen Shores Police Service had their highest call volume ever in 2021, says Sgt. Andy Evans.

Hebblethwaite says it’s a Canada-wide police problem he hopes will be short term, with the slow resumption of in-person court proceedings this year.

“This spike is unique. I would imagine that most police services are experiencing the same thing. It’s uncharted waters that we’re all in."