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British Columbia - The Best Place on Earth -

Just ask our criminals…

By Gerry Wickstead

Investigating Crime and Issuing Criminal Charges in Canada

22 Crime Categories over seven years (1997-2003)

Solving PROPERTY CRIME (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 10th place among 10 provinces

8% charge rate

263,805 reported property crimes without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (12.5%)

2002 10th place among 10 provinces

6.9% charge rate

244,666 reported property crimes without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (13.2%)

2001 10th place among 10 provinces

9.3% charge rate

239,582 reported property crimes without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (13.7%)

2000 10th place among 10 provinces

10.1% charge rate

232,275 reported property crimes without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (14.1%)

1999 10th place among 10 provinces

10.8% charge rate

242,772 reported property crimes without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (14.4%)

1998 10th place among 10 provinces

11.0% charge rate

256,289 reported property crimes without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (14.5%)

1997 10th place among 10 provinces

11.0% charge rate

273,542 reported criminal incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (14.5%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) PROPERTY CRIME

Police reported incidents – in order of Highest to Lowest Charge Rates

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 519,570	13,565	2,611	2,607	19.2%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 994,843	65,784	6,613	10,663	16.2%
3^rd	Alberta 3,153,723	161,490	5,121	26,043	16.1%
4^th	New Brunswick 750,594	22,770	3,034	3,684	16.1%
5^th	Prince Edward Island 137,781	4,957	3,598	687	13.8%
6^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	34,206	3,654	4,709	13.7%
7^th	Ontario 12,238,300	396,655	3,241	53,642	13.5%
8^th	Manitoba 1,162,776	64,899	5,581	8,569	13.2%
	CANADA 31,629,677	1,303,569	4,121	163,349	Canadian average 12.5%
9^th	Quebec 7,487,169	244,757	3,269	28,254	11.5%
10^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	287,036	6,922	23,231	* 8%

*Note: The total number of Incidents Cleared by Charge in British Columbia is actually lower than indicated. Criminal Charges initiated by Police in BC may have been Stayed / dropped by Crown Counsel causing the actual number of incidents cleared by charges to be lower. New Brunswick and Quebec have a similar prosecutor-based system. However these two provinces alter their Charge clearance numbers when Crown prosecutors drop charges while British Columbia does not.

“In New Brunswick and Quebec (for the Surete du Quebec only), the initial clearance status recommended by the police (e.g., cleared by a specific charge) is subject to approval by the Crown. Should the Crown find insufficient evidence to proceed with the charge, the police revise their records to take into account the recommendation by the Crown. According to the data element definition, a charge is cleared only if there is sufficient evidence to proceed. However, other jurisdictions, including British Columbia which has a system similar to Quebec, do not revise their internal records when the Crown disagrees with the police assessment of the evidence. For this reason, caution should be taken in making comparisons between jurisdictions for this data element. “

Source: Statistics Canada – Crime Statistics 2003 Catalogue no 85-205 Page 79

In 2003, those responsible for 92% of reported Property Crimes in BC were never criminally charged.

In 2003, those responsible for 263,805 Property Crimes in BC were never criminally charged

In fact, BC had more unsolved Property crime than overall Property Crime reported by the 6 combined provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. Saskatchewan (65,784) + Manitoba (64,899) + Nova Scotia (34,206) + P.E.I. (4,957) + New Brunswick (22,770) + Newfoundland (13,565)

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) PROPERTY CRIME

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 531,595	12,875	2,422	2,390	18.6%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	57,447	5,687	10,171	17.7%
3^rd	Alberta 3,113,586	145,175	4,663	24,685	17.0%
4^th	New Brunswick 756,652	21,280	2,812	3,285	15.4%
5^th	Manitoba 1,150,848	57,277	4,977	8,569	15.0%
6^th	Ontario 12,068,301	389,947	3,231	56,529	14.5%
7^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	31,385	3,322	4,210	13.4%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	4,483	3,204	592	13.2%
	CANADA 31,629,677	1,243,945	3,960	163,775	Canadian average 13.2%
9^th	Quebec 7,455,208	248,896	3,339	28,172	11.3%
10^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	268,699	6,488	24,033	8.9%*

In 2002, those responsible for 91.1% of reported Property Crimes in BC were never criminally charged

In 2002, those responsible for 244,666 Property Crimes in BC were never criminally charged

In fact, BC had more unsolved Property crime than overall Property Crime reported by the 6 combined provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, P.E.I., New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. Saskatchewan (57,447) + Manitoba (57,277) + Nova Scotia (31,385) + P.E.I. (4,483) + New Brunswick (21,280) + Newfoundland (12,875)

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) PROPERTY CRIME

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 533,761	12,190	2,284	2,619	21.5%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	59,070	5,136	9,172	15.5%
3^rd	New Brunswick 757,077	21,400	2,827	3,772	17.6%
4^th	Alberta 3,064,249	134,995	4,405	23,191	17.2%
5^th	Manitoba 1,150,034	59,070	5,136	9,172	15.5%
6^th	Ontario 11,874,436	403,718	3,400	61,486	15.2%
7^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	32,516	3,449	4,686	14.4%
	CANADA 31,081,887	1,257,729	4,047	172,748	Canadian average 13.7%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 138,514	4,086	2,950	533	13.0%
9^th	Quebec 7,410,504	260,136	3,510	31,119	12.0%
10^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	264,246	6,451	24,664	9.3%

In 2001, those responsible for 91.7% of reported Property Crime in British Columbia (239,582 incidents) were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) PROPERTY CRIME

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 538,823	12,991	2,411	2,700	20.8%
2^nd	New Brunswick 756,598	21,760	2,876	4,150	19.1%
3^rd	` Saskatchewan 1,023,636	60,088	5,870	11,120	18.5%
4^th	Alberta 2,997,236	133,447	4,452	24,419	18.3%
5^th	Ontario 11,669,344	394,786	3,383	60,538	15.3%
6^th	Manitoba 1,147,880	57,008	4,966	8,436	14.8%
7^th	Prince Edward Island 138,928	4,129	2,972	596	14.4%
8^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	33,652	3,576	4,797	14.3%
	CANADA 30,750,087	1,251,667	4,070	176,259	Canadian average 14.1%
9^th	Quebec 7,372,448	269,124	3,650	32,415	12.0%
10^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	258,410	6,359	26,135	10.1% *

In British Columbia there were 232,275 reported Property Crime incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) PROPERTY CRIME

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 541,000	14,634	2,705	3,543	24.2%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	59,140	5,754	11,197	18.9%
3^rd	New Brunswick 754,969	22,531	2,984	4,164	18.5%
4^th	Alberta 2,964,689	141,736	4,781	25,704	18.1%
5^th	Prince Edward Island 137,980	4,118	2,984	648	15.7%
6^th	Manitoba 1,143,509	58,136	5,084	8,976	15.4%
7^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	37,711	4,013	5,794	15.4%
8^th	Ontario 11,513,808	411,456	3,574	62,381	15.2%
	CANADA 30,491,294	1,300,650	4,266	187,276	Canadian average 14.4%
9^th	Quebec 7,345,390	273,403	3,722	34,529	12.6%
10^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	272,021	6,761	29,249	10.8%

In British Columbia there were 242,772 reported Property crimes without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) PROPERTY CRIME

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 544,400	14,512	2,666	3,532	24.3%
2^nd	New Brunswick 752,999	21,181	2,813	4,118	19.4%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	62,287	6,080	11,810	19.0%
4^th	Alberta 2,914,918	143,471	4,922	26,451	18.4%
5^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	58,762	5,160	10,123	17.2%
6^th	Prince Edward Island 136,388	3,747	2,747	635	16.9%
7^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	37,964	4,062	6,275	16.5%
8^th	Ontario 11,411,547	440,912	3,864	66,340	15.0%
	CANADA 30,300,422	1,375,881	4,541	199,733	Canadian average 14.5%
9^th	Quebec 7,333,283	298,821	4,075	37,855	12.7%
10^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	287,816	7,178	31,527	11.0%

In British Columbia there were 256,289 reported Property crimes without criminal charges

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) PROPERTY CRIME

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 562,200	14,378	2,557	3,392	23.6%
2^nd	New Brunswick 761,100	23,053	3,029	4,783	20.7%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	63,524	6,217	12,261	19.3%
4^th	Alberta 2,841,300	143,011	5,033	27,401	19.2%
5^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	37,530	3,964	6,632	17.7%
6^th	Prince Edward Island 137,100	4,357	3,178	740	17.0%
7^th	Manitoba 1,142,200	62,139	5,440	9,854	15.9%
8^th	Ontario 11,421,600	478,882	4,193	70,129	14.6%
	CANADA 30,285,800	1,458,930	4,817	212,257	Canadian average 14.5%
9^th	Quebec 7,431,000	317,681	4,275	41,856	13.2%
10^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	307,482	7,841	33,940	11.0%

In British Columbia there were 273,542 reported Property Crimes without criminal charges

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