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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 HOMICIDE (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 10th place among 10 provinces

54.8% charge rate

42 reported Homicides without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (67.1%)

2002 7^th place among 10 provinces

66.7% charge rate

42 reported Homicides without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (68.7%)

2001 7^th place among 10 provinces

64.7% charge rate

30 reported Homicides without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (67.1%)

2000 7^th place among 10 provinces

60% charge rate

34 reported Homicides without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (66.1%)

1999 8^th place among 10 provinces

62.7% charge rate

41 reported Homicides without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (65.1%)

1998 8^th place among 10 provinces

62.2% charge rate

34 reported Homicides without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (69.2%)

1997 7^th place among 10 provinces

64.0% charge rate

41 reported Homicides without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (64.5%)

Homicides 2004

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) HOMICIDE

(Includes: 1^st degree murder, 2^nd degree murder, Manslaughter, Infanticide)

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	Prince Edward Island 137,781	1	1	1	100%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 994,843	41	4	36	87.8%
3^rd	Ontario 12,238,300	178	2	140	78.7%
4^th	New Brunswick 750,594	8	1	6	75%
	CANADA 31,629,677	548	2	368	Canadian average 67.1%
5^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	8	1	5	62.5%
6^th	Alberta 3,153,723	63	2	39	61.9%
7^th	Manitoba 1,162,776	43	4	26	60.5%
8^th	Newfoundland 519,570	5	1	3	60%
9^th	Quebec 7,487,169	100	1	56	56%
10^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	93	2	51	54.8%

*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

Those responsible for 42 Homicides in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) HOMICIDE

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 531,595	2	0	2	100%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,150,848	36	3	32	88.9%
3^rd	New Brunswick 756,652	9	1	7	77.8%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	27	3	21	77.8%
	CANADA 31,629,677	582	2	400	Canadian average 68.7%
5^th	Alberta 3,113,586	70	2	48	68.6%
6^th	Quebec 7,455,208	118	2	79	66.9%
7^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	126	3	84	66.7%
8^th	Ontario 12,068,301	178	1	118	66.3%
^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	9	1	4	44.4%
10^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	1	1	0	0

Those responsible for 42 Homicides in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) HOMICIDE

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Nova Scotia 942,691	9	1	9	100%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 138,514	2	1	2	100%
3^rd	Newfoundland 533,761	1	F	1	100%
4^th	Manitoba 1,150,034	34	3	28	82.4%
5^th	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	27	3	22	81.5%
6^th	Alberta 3,064,249	70	2	57	81.4%
	CANADA 31,081,887	554	2	372	Canadian average 67.1%
7^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	85	2	55	64.7%
8^th	Ontario 11,874,436	170	1	107	62.9%
9^th	New Brunswick 757,077	8	1	5	62.5%
10^th	Quebec 7,410,504	140	2	80	57.1%

In British Columbia there were 30 reported Homicide incidents without criminal charges

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) HOMICIDE

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 138,928	3	2	3	100%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,147,880	30	3	28	93.3%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	26	3	24	92.3%
4^th	Alberta 2,997,236	58	2	49	84.4%
5^th	Newfoundland 538,823	6	1	4	66.7%
	CANADA 30,750,087	542	2	358	Canadian average 66.1%
6^th	Ontario 11,669,344	155	1	102	65.8%
7^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	85	2	51	60%
8^th	Quebec 7,372,448	148	2	81	54.7%
9^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	15	2	6	40%
10^th	New Brunswick 756,598	10	1	4	40%

In British Columbia there were 34 reported Homicides incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) HOMICIDE

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 541,000	2	-	2	100%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 137,980	1	1	1	100%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,143,509	26	2	23	88.5%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	13	1	11	84.6%
5^th	Alberta 2,964,689	61	2	47	77.0%
6^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	13	1	9	69.2%
7^th	Ontario 11,513,808	161	1	111	68.9%
	CANADA 30,491,294	536	2	349	Canadian average 65.1%
8^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	110	3	69	62.7%
9^th	New Brunswick 754,969	9	1	5	55.6%
10^th	Quebec 7,345,390	136	2	68	50%

In British Columbia there were 41 reported Homicides without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) HOMICIDE

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	New Brunswick 752,999	5	1	5	100%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	32	3	29	90.6%
3^rd	Alberta 2,914,918	64	2	56	87.5%
4^th	Newfoundland 544,400	7	1	6	85.7%
5^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	33	3	27	81.8%
6^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	24	3	18	75%
7^th	Ontario 11,411,547	155	1	113	72.9%
	CANADA 30,300,422	555	2	384	Canadian average 69.2%
8^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	90	2	56	62.2%
9^th	Quebec 7,333,283	137	2	70	51.1%
	Prince Edward Island 136,388	-	-	-	-

In British Columbia there were 34 reported Homicides without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) HOMICIDE

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	25	2	24	96%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,142,200	30	3	27	90%
3^rd	Newfoundland 562,000	6	1	5	83.3%
4^th	Alberta 2,841,300	60	2	46	76.7%
5^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	24	3	18	75%
6^th	New Brunswick 761,100	8	1	6	75%
	CANADA 30,285,800	581	2	375	Canadian Average 64.5%
7^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	114	3	73	64.0% *
8^th	Ontario 11,421,600	178	2	111	62.4%
9^th	Quebec 7,431,000	132	2	61	46.2%
	Prince Edward Island 137,100	-	-	-	-

In British Columbia there were 41 reported Homicides without criminal charges.

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