KITCHENER -- After an initial lull in crime due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Waterloo regional police say there's been a recent uptick in serious, violent incidents.
At a media roundtable on Tuesday morning, Chief Bryan Larkin discussed a concerning trend this year. There have been 13 shootings, seven homicides and five attempted murders in the region this year, according to police.
Larkin spent much of the chat talking about a shooting death on Birkinshaw Road in Cambridge last month. An 18-year-old was arrested in relation to the death, and has since been released on bail.
The suspects in a string of arson fires at Walmarts in the region were also released on bail. A 21-year-old man and a youth are facing multiple charges in relation to the fires.
Larkin said he was frustrated with those decisions and said he'll be voicing his displeasure with the attorney general.
