CRACK CLAMPDOWN LOWERING CITY CRIME RATE, POLICE SAY

Break-ins reached an all-time low in February and March as police statistics again show the number of crimes in the Hamilton area dropping in almost every category.

Ken Bond, superintendent of investigative services, said the figures suggest police efforts to clamp down on crack cocaine are paying off because there is "a strong correlation" between the drug's use and overall crime rate.

Police statistics show there were 491 home break-ins in the first three months of this year, nearly 25 per cent fewer than the 634 for the same period last year.

Assaults, frauds and sexual offences all dropped by more than 20 per cent over last year, while car thefts and non-home break-ins dropped by about 10 per cent each.  Thefts of property worth more than $1,000 dropped by 17 per cent and there were six fewer robberies at 140.

"There is a dramatic drop and we had a dramatic drop last year," Supt.  Bond said, citing break-ins and auto thefts in particular.  "It was a concern to me, how do you keep that up year after year, but these numbers are more positive and more encouraging," he said.

"With all stats there's a point where you're getting smaller and smaller returns for the value you're putting into it, but I think there's still room for improvement and we will continue to focus in on that ( crack ) part of our area of crime fighting."