BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Violent crime is down in Western New York but the region is reporting an uptick in property crime. That's according to new data from the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
More than 5,400 vehicles were stolen in Erie County last year, many of them in the City of Buffalo.
The Erie County Sheriff's Office Air 1 unit has helped the Buffalo Police Department track down several stolen vehicles. In one instance, the helicopter was able to locate three stolen vehicles in a single night, leading to nine arrests.
"All departments and police agencies have a no pursuit policy. You have a stolen vehicle being chased, it could run into a school bus or family," said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia. "You're not going to outrun a helicopter. We're going to find you. At the end of the day, we have to hold people responsible for these crimes and you have victims."
In 2023, property crimes including burglaries, larcenies, and stolen vehicles surged in Western New York, the highest since 2016. However, these numbers are still significantly lower compared to a decade or two ago.
However, the latest numbers show that violent crimes in our region hit their lowest since at least 2000. Crimes including robberies, murders, sexual assaults, and aggravated assaults were down 4% in 2023 and 14% lower than in 2020.
"The work at all law enforcement agencies are doing from the federal, state, and local levels, working together to get these illegal handguns out of the hands of criminals, that's made a difference," said Garcia. "The investigations, we're prosecuting people, and people are being held accountable for their actions."
