Sexual offences and violent crime soared during the 17-day 2010 Olympic Games with 421 offences compared 329 in 2009. According to fresh figures released by Vancouver Police, the total number of crimes fell by an insignificant 1.5 per cent during the period Feb. 12 to March 1.

Property crime went down by six per cent from 1839 last year to 1,730 during the games.

“During the same period, the number of violent crimes in the city rose from 324 in 2009 to 421, an increase of almost 30 per cent. The major increases within that category came from assaults. Sexual assaults rose from 16 to 27 and common assaults rose from 250 to 340,” police said.

“It is difficult to draw conclusions from this 17-day period because of the extraordinary increases of both citizens and police within the downtown core. Either factor or both could contribute to these temporary spikes,” said Const. Jana McGuinness.

“These statistics are not reflective of the Metro Vancouver crime picture during the Olympics. Anecdotal information from adjoining police jurisdictions is that crime remained the same or dropped,” she added.