The rate of liquor-related incidents at the University of Guelph over the past year has more than tripled compared to the previous two years.
This comes from data presented at the Guelph Police Services Board meeting on Thursday, which shows 100 liquor-related incidents were recorded between May 1, 2021 and April 30, 2022, while during the same period in 2020-2021, the number was 32, and just 19 in 2019-2020.
David Lee, U of G director of campus security, said it’s hard to make comparisons in the numbers because of COVID-19, given the numbers are skewed.
Lee said the number of liquor-related offences has been increasing in campuses across the province.
“Our liquor tickets have gone up. I think that’s the experience among a number of police agencies around the province, certainly on campuses,” said Lee. “I’m a member of a peer group, and we talk regularly, and everyone is experiencing that.”
Of these incidents, eight resulted in a provincial offence charge under the liquor license act for public intoxication, 30 were for having open liquor and 25 were for having or consuming liquor under the age of 19.
BIKE THEFTS INCREASING
“The one thing that concerns me - that is way up - is the bike thefts,” said Lee. “About three years ago, I sat here and gave a presentation, and I was quite happy our bike thefts had plummeted because of all the different things we were doing, now they’re up.”
According to the report, the number of bike thefts in 2020-2021 was 62. That’s up from 11 in the previous reporting period and 34 in the 2019-2020 reporting period.
Lee said more active patrols in the bike areas will be needed moving forward to steam the rash of thefts.
“There has to be a deterrent. A visual deterrent, uniformed officers in the area of the bicycle acts,” said Lee.
