Violent crime is surging in Sooke, RCMP stats show.
 
Assaults increased by 93 percent, with 27 reported through 31 Mar 2023, up from 14 in the same period in 2022.
 
Assault with a weapon causing bodily harm doubled, with 10 attacks logged, compared to five during the same period a year earlier, according to the RCMP's quarterly report to Sooke council.
 
Uttering threats rose slightly, from 20 to 24.
 
The police are monitoring the situation to determine whether the statistics indicate a pattern.
 
RCMP Sgt. Kevin Shaw said most incidents are isolated occurrences.
 
Police have seen an increase in youth gatherings in the downtown area, resulting in conflict and random stranger attacks with "little logic behind them," he said.
 
Shaw said police would focus on areas where people gather, especially downtown, where strangers are more likely to interact.
 
The goal is to prioritize these locations in efforts to ensure public safety.
 
On the bright side, the latest numbers showed property crime theft declined, including theft from a vehicle dropping a whopping 80 percent.
 
Kevin Laird.

"Property theft declined"... perhaps a benefit of bad drugs, less users, less theft, just wondering?