Prime Time Crime

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British Columbia - The Best Place on Earth -

Just ask our criminals…

By Gerry Wickstead

Solving Crime and issuing Criminal Charges British Columbia 1998

In 10 of the 22 Crime Categories - British Columbia was in Last place.

All Criminal Incidents

10th place among 10 provinces

429,771 reported criminal incidents without criminal charges

All Violent Crime 

9th place among 10 provinces

32,212 reported Violent Crimes without criminal charges

All Property Crime 

10th place among 10 provinces

256,289 reported Property Crimes without criminal charges

All Other Crime

10th place among 10 provinces

121,932 reported Property Crimes without criminal charges

Homicide 

8th place among 10 provinces

34 reported Homicides without criminal charges

Attempt Murder  

7th place among 10 provinces

34 reported Attempt Murders  without criminal charges

Sexual Assault

3rd place among 10 provinces

2,472 reported Sexual Assaults without criminal charges

Common Assault 

8th place among 10 provinces

21,973 reported Assaults without criminal charges

Assault with Weapon/ Cause bodily harm

9th place among 10 provinces

2,889 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges

Robbery

10th place among 10 provinces

4,207 reported Robberies without criminal charges

Break and Enter

10th place among 10 provinces

61,156 reported Break and Enter incidents without criminal charges

Theft over $5,000

6th place among 10 provinces

2,276 reported Theft over $5,000 without criminal charges

Theft under $5,000

10th place among 10 provinces

153,926 reported Theft under $5,000 incidents without criminal charges

Motor Vehicle Theft 

 10th place among 10 provinces

27,917 reported Motor Vehicle Thefts  without criminal charges

Have Stolen Goods

10th place among 10 provinces

2,120 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges

Fraud  

9th place among 10 provinces

8,894 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

Offensive Weapons 

9th place among 10 provinces

2,498 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

Mischief

 10th place among 10 provinces

55,964 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

Arson

10th place among 10 provinces

2,586 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

Kidnapping

8th place among 10 provinces

79 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

Counterfeit Currency

10th place among 10 provinces

5,104 reported Counterfeit Currency incidents without criminal charges

Impaired Driving

5th place among 10 provinces

1,441 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

Caution should be exercised when comparing British Columbia’s Charge Clearance rates with the same Charge clearance rates of other Provinces.  BC’s Charge Clearance Rate is actually LOWER than reported

Statistic Canada’s annual charge clearance statistics reflect police-reported criminal charges sent before the Courts.  Unlike the other provinces, British Columbia, Quebec and New Brunswick each have a Prosecutor-based system where police criminal charges may be dropped by Crown Prosecutors before the charges ever reach the Court system.  Quebec and New Brunswick alter their charge statistics with Statistics Canada to reflect charges dropped by Crown Prosecutors in those two provinces.  However, British Columbia does not alter its charge clearance numbers once Crown Counsel has dropped the criminal charge requested by Police.   British Columbia’s 7th, 8th and 9th Place finishes could realistically be dropped to 10th Place depending on the number of criminal charges dropped by Crown Counsel prior to trial.

Solving Crime and issuing Criminal Charges British Columbia 1997
In 11 of the 22 Crime Categories - British Columbia was in Last place.

All Criminal Incidents

10th place among 10 provinces

443,462 reported criminal incidents without criminal charges

All Violent Crime 

10th place among 10 provinces

32,212 reported Violent Crimes without criminal charges

All Property Crime 

10th place among 10 provinces

273,542 reported Property Crimes without criminal charges

All Other Crime

10th place among 10 provinces

119,644 reported Property Crimes without criminal charges

Homicide 

7th place among 10 provinces

41 reported Homicides without criminal charges

Attempt Murder  

4th place among 10 provinces

18 reported Attempt Murders without criminal charges

Sexual Assault

5th place among 10 provinces

2,441 reported Sexual Assaults without criminal charges

Common Assault 

7th place among 10 provinces

21,877 reported Assaults without criminal charges

Assault with Weapon/ Cause bodily harm

9th place among 10 provinces

2,953 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges

Robbery

10th place among 10 provinces

4,495 reported Robberies without criminal charges

Break and Enter

10th place among 10 provinces

67,156 reported Break and Enter incidents without criminal charges

Theft over $5,000

9th place among 10 provinces

2,639 reported Theft over $5,000 without criminal charges

Theft under $5,000

10th place among 10 provinces

161,054 reported Theft under $5,000 incidents without criminal charges

Motor Vehicle Theft 

 10th place among 10 provinces

30,993 reported Motor Vehicle Thefts  without criminal charges

Have Stolen Goods

9th place among 10 provinces

2,002 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges

Fraud  

6th place among 10 provinces

9,316 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

Offensive Weapons 

10th place among 10 provinces

2,172 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

Mischief

 10th place among 10 provinces

60,571 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

Arson

10th place among 10 provinces

2,367 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

Kidnapping

8th place among 10 provinces

67 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

Counterfeit Currency

6th place among 10 provinces

2,085 reported Counterfeit Currency incidents without criminal charges

Impaired Driving

4th place among 10 provinces

1,218 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

Police Reported Incidents - Overall Crime Rate 1990 to 2000

How did the 10 Canadian Provinces compare?

Source: Statistics Canada – Canadian Crime Statistics  (1990 to 1999)

British Columbia had Highest Crime Rate 1990 to 1996 and 2nd Highest Crime Rate 1997 to 1999

Crime Rate -

Highest to Lowest

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

Crime Rate

Crime Rate

 

Crime Rate

 

Crime Rate

 

Crime Rate

 

Crime Rate

 

1

Saskatchewan

14,327

Saskatchewan

13,820

Saskatchewan

14,216

Saskatchewan

13,939

British Columbia

14,914

British Columbia

15,020

2

British Columbia

12,291

British Columbia

12,603

British Columbia

13,117

British Columbia

13,852

Saskatchewan

13,380

Saskatchewan

12,964

3

Manitoba

11,670

Manitoba

11,558

Manitoba

11,520

Manitoba

11,904

Manitoba

11,475

Manitoba

11,803

4

Alberta

9,689

Alberta

9,887

Alberta

9,882

Alberta

10,019

Alberta

9,800

Alberta

9,949

5

Nova Scotia

8,233

Nova Scotia

8,993

Nova Scotia

8,781

Nova Scotia

8,845

Nova Scotia

9,029

Ontario

9,260

6

New Brunswick

7,536

New Brunswick

7,882

Ontario

7,755

Ontario

8,050

Ontario

8,691

Nova Scotia

8,722

7

Prince Edward Island

7,434

Prince Edward Island

7,669

Quebec

7,136

Prince Edward Island

7,818

Prince Edward Island

8,591

Prince Edward Island

8,096

8

Ontario

7,079

Ontario

7,307

New Brunswick

7,052

Quebec

7,471

Quebec

7,750

Quebec

7,872

9

Quebec

6,665

Quebec

6,604

Prince Edward Island

7,023

New Brunswick

7,103

New Brunswick

7,558

New Brunswick

7,813

10

Newfoundland

6,357

Newfoundland

6,494

Newfoundland

6,370

Newfoundland

6,103

Newfoundland

6,584

Newfoundland

6,047

Crime Rate -

Highest to Lowest

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

Crime Rate

 

Crime Rate

 

Crime Rate

 

Crime Rate

 

Crime Rate

 

1

British Columbia

15,340

British Columbia

16,737

British Columbia

18,563

British Columbia

18,928

British Columbia

17,784

2

Manitoba

13,070

Saskatchewan

13,627

Alberta

14,682

Alberta

15,849

Alberta

14,557

3

Saskatchewan

12,544

Manitoba

13,070

Saskatchewan

14,238

Saskatchewan

14,475

Saskatchewan

14,557

4

Alberta

10,481

Alberta

13,008

Manitoba

12,777

Manitoba

12,708

Manitoba

12,155

5

Ontario

9,398

Prince Edward Island

11,688

Prince Edward Island

12,370

Nova Scotia

12,580

Nova Scotia

11,681

6

Nova Scotia

9,013

Nova Scotia

10,835

Nova Scotia

11,969

Prince Edward Island

12,409

Ontario

11,619

7

Prince Edward Island

7,963

Ontario

10,384

Ontario

11,610

Ontario

12,383

Prince Edward Island

10,807

8

New Brunswick

7,793

New Brunswick

8,876

New Brunswick

8,954

New Brunswick

9,541

New Brunswick

9,640

9

Quebec

7,718

Quebec

7,703

Quebec

8,689

Quebec

9,156

Quebec

8,517

10

Newfoundland

6,270

Newfoundland

7,298

Newfoundland

8,479

Newfoundland

8,793

Newfoundland

8,283

Comparing Crime Rates between 1980 and 1990

Source: Statistics Canada Crime Statistics 1990 Pages 28-43

Crime Rate 

Highest to Lowest

Violent Crime 

Rate per 100,000

Property Crime

Rate per 100,000

Criminal Code Offences

Rate per 100,000

Break and enter

Rate per 100,000

(1990 only)

1980

1990

1980

1990

1980

1990

Business

Residence

1

British Columbia

1,034

British Columbia

1,437

British Columbia

7,359

British Columbia

8,732

British Columbia

11,931

British Columbia

14,981

British Columbia

566

British Columbia

1,046

2

Alberta

798

Manitoba

1,170

Manitoba

6,271

Alberta

7,157

Alberta

9,489

Alberta

11,836

Alberta

481

Quebec

1,042

3

Ontario

647

Alberta

1,078

Alberta

6,232

Manitoba

6,358

Manitoba

9,342

Sask.

10,834

Quebec

455

Manitoba

905

4

Sask.

609

Nfld.

1,063

Ontario

5,641

Sask.

6,239

Ontario

8,818

Manitoba

10,608

Ontario

412

Sask.

810

5

Manitoba

567

Ontario

1,023

Quebec

5,096

Ontario

5,347

Sask.

7.907

Ontario

9,340

Manitoba

402

Alberta

798

6

N.S.

561

Sask.

1,022

Sask.

5,048

Quebec

5,262

Quebec

6,996

N.S.

8,987

Sask.

400

Ontario

631

7

Quebec

488

N.S.

876

N.S.

3,801

N.S.

4,901

N.S.

6,787

Quebec

7,925

N.B.

316

N.S.

600

8

N.B.

463

N.B. 

826

N.B.

3,544

N.B.

3,860

N.B.

6,280

N.B.

7,491

N.S.

310

N.B.

539

9

Nfld.

462

Quebec

742

Nfld.

2,988

P.E.I.

3,298

P.E.I.

5,447

P.E.I.

7,222

P.E.I.

294

Nfld.

388

10

P.E.I.

329

P.E.I.

687

P.E.I.

2,975

Nfld.

2,963

Nfld.

5,236

Nfld.

6,062

Nfld.

261

P.E.I.

313

CANADA

CANADA

648

CANADA

1,013

CANADA

5,551

CANADA

5,870

CANADA

8,507

CANADA

9,907

CANADA

440

CANADA

810

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