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Hdatûn'-0 is crime rate down a bit Iast year laiton police airc rcpotiogi sntall buct sigoilicant clectecase m overail crime lasi s cat. According to statisttcs pros idcdc hy the Halton Regional Police Nili systemr lasi week, there were I 5,268 criminal occurrences in thc rcgion in 2008 compared to 1 5,526 in 2007 -representing a 4.5 per cent drop. Perliaps miost encouraging. ithe number of reported haie crimes in the region feli [romi il to 31 , a 4o per cent dccreasc. Gîviýen the hîgh rt e of popiola- redciot ol o cOLMIcllC, 15 \ci, encouragîng, saicl Halton Police Chiel'GarsCrssll Other bIig recluctions ssere seen in ai-son and auto iheft, whiclî dropped 26 and 20 per cent respec- A s wefl, there vcre 13.3 per cent fewer incidents of' break and cet aeross [ilton. w hile vscapons offences MeuI 12.7 per cent and non- sexual assaitîs and rohhertes, hoth dropped about 9 per cent. Hossever, cmne [orni of crime iook a steep hike. Attrthuied ici the gfl)wth of on-line scamns, francîs rose a staggering 5Q.6 pier cent - jump- ing Iroi-n 854 to 1. 363 incicdent,, Meanwhilc, the mnmbet of sexuo ai assats ancd pos-scssuiii of siciett goocis cases also iîcrcaseci. as cîid imnparei dristig ai iesis. Siatitics ilsît siiossecil ibat ibet c vas a 26. pci ceini crop iii t cîiihet cil Incicdetnts wlcrc i laltici potlic e neeciccit i se loicec gciitg [roi 20 in 200- Io ii2 tsit vca. Today's Champion OPINION A6 REAL ESTATE A22 DATELINE A25 CLASSIFIED A30 FUL D ITABUflON. ALES-M R AAiTiR SHOPPRR .WAt4ýT UPARîTIAL DISTRIBUTION. - SMAT SOUCE -S(IBF S P ARM Ii* M ITcHEAciS MAYTA vwwmiltontoyota.com or, il, H YU n