Over 5000 assault cases reported to police in 2023 in Mississauga and Brampton

Published December 30, 2023 at 12:57 pm

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As the year draws to a close, the persistent challenge of assaults continue to be a prevalent concern in the neighbourhoods of Mississauga and Brampton, with over 5000 incidents reported to police in the past 12 months.

From Jan. 1 to Dec. 30, Peel Regional Police data indicates 5,681 assaults were reported across both cities — 2,739 in Mississauga and 2,942 in Brampton.

Compared to other crimes plaguing the Peel region, assaults ranked second for 2023:

Here’s a month-to-month breakdown of the number assaults in these cities, based on police data:

Jan. 1 to Feb. 1: 516 — 292 Brampton 224 Mississauga
Feb. 2 to March. 3: 466 — 232 Brampton 234 Mississauga
March 4 to April 5: 526 — 255 Brampton 271 Mississauga
April 6 to May 7: 548 — 300 Brampton 248 Mississauga
May 8 to June 9: 563— 291 Brampton 272 Mississauga
June 10 to July 11: 543 — 292 Brampton 271 Mississauga
July 12 to August 13: 510 — 299 Brampton 211 Mississauga
August 14 to Sept 15: 563 — 276 Brampton 287 Mississauga
Sept 16 to Oct 17: 518 — 239 Brampton 279 Mississauga
Oct 18 to Nov. 19: 500 — 243 Brampton 257 Mississauga
Nov 20 to Dec. 21: 363 — 179 Brampton 184 Mississauga
Dec. 22 to Dec. 30: 65 — 44 Brampton 20 Mississauga

The data suggests that 10 months out of the year there were 500 or more assaults every 30 days. Peaks occurred in May to June and August to Sept., reaching 563 incidents, while a decline was observed Feb. to March with 466 incidents.

Nov. to Dec., also experienced a significant decrease of crimes of this nature with 428 cases. Additionally, the final 8 days of the year recorded 65 incidents.

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Mississauga experienced a surge in assault incidents from Sept. to Dec., taking the lead over Brampton which had higher numbers from January to August.

Compared to the same time last year (Jan –Dec of 2022) the assault count was sitting at a low number of 39 incidents collectively for Mississauga and Brampton.

Below is a map detailing where the incidents took place:

The data further highlights the top 20 common hotspots for crimes involving assault. These include:

Airport Road
Argentia Road
Bloor Street
Bramalea Road
Burnhamthorpe Road
City Centre Drive
Derry Road
Dixie Road
Dundas Street
Glen Erin Drive
Goreway Drive
Great Lakes Drive
Hurontario Street
Kennedy Road
Knightsbridge Road
Lakeshore Road
Main Street
Mississauga Valley Boulevard
Queen Street

One piece of information not mentioned in the police data, are the specific types of assault involved in each case or what injuries (if any) were sustained by the victim.

However, of the 5,681 assault crimes this year, investigators have successfully solved 4220 cases while 545 are ongoing and 916 remain unsolved.

Here are 6 noteworthy assault cases from this year

Peel police continue to offer valuable safety tips for residents, emphasizing measures to protect themselves from becoming a victim of assault:

Avoid opening the door to people you don’t know. Learn to respond safely by speaking through a closed and locked door.
Plan your route and avoid short cuts through vacant lots or unlit areas.
Familiarize yourself with the nearest police stations and 24/7 stores.
Avoid being alone by getting a friend to accompany you.
Lock your car after getting in. Avoid lingering around in the parking lot. Drive away as soon as you can.
If someone tries to take your purse/bag, do not resist. Instead, head to a safe location and immediately call the police. Defend yourself only in the event that you are being physically assaulted.
If you think you are being followed, do not drive/walk home as you don’t want the person to know where you live. Instead, consider driving or walking to the nearest police station or open service station.

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