Where are the Winnipeg police? We analyzed half a million service calls to find out

Grip Singh says his community watch group in Amber Trails gets a report every week that someone's car or garage has been broken into.

"They're very frustrated by the increase in crime and the lack of response from police," Singh told CBC News. 

While property crime calls, like those for breaking and entering or theft, have increased 50 per cent over the same period last year in his Old Kildonan community, the residents say that only represents a fraction of the calls they're actually making regarding property theft. 

"It should be higher, actually," Singh said. "[Amber Trails residents are] telling us they have serious incidents where items are removed or evidence of a break-in … and no one shows up at all."

Singh is reacting to police dispatch data obtained by CBC News through freedom of information laws. It shows that Winnipeg police were sent to fewer calls for service in the first half of 2022, but calls classified as violent crime and property crime both increased by more than 10 per cent.

The data shows every 911 or non-emergency call that Winnipeg police were sent to over the past three years, offering a look at where Winnipeg police are going and why they are sent to these locations.

"It paints a picture of a very busy city," said Stacey Cann, the manager of communications for the police service, when asked about the data.

"I think that you can tell that our violence is quite high in Winnipeg. I think you can also see that there's concentrated parts of Winnipeg that have higher calls for service than others."

The call data revealed that overall, calls for service attended by Winnipeg police have decreased by seven per cent when compared to the first half of 2021.

However, the types of calls they are answering have changed. Police are now being dispatched to more calls related to violence — such as a robbery or assault — and to more property crimes.

The majority of these calls to service in 2022 went to four wards in the core: Point Douglas, Daniel McIntyre, Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry and Mynarski.

Community safety and policing have been a hot button issue ahead of the civic election on Wednesday, with it being the major pillar of most mayoral campaigns.

The electoral wards of Old Kildonan and Fort Rouge-East Fort Garry are the only two wards that saw an increase in call volume. In wards like Charles-Tuxedo-Westwood and St. Norbert-Seine River, call volume decreased by more than 16 per cent.

"It might be a good thing that they're not seeing the police," said Cann, whose department handles all calls for service that come into police.