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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 ASSAULT WITH WEAPON (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 10^thplace among 10 provinces

47.6% charge rate

3,538 reported Assault with Weapon without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (62.3%)

2002 10^thplace among 10 provinces

51.0% charge rate

3,176 reported Assault with Weapon without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (63.4%)

2001 10^thplace among 10 provinces

50.1% charge rate

3,097 reported Assault with Weapon without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (62.7%)

2000 9^th place among 10 provinces

54.9% charge rate

2,851 reported Assault with Weapon without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (63.7%)

1999 9^th place among 10 provinces

56.8% charge rate

2,642 reported Assault with Weapon without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (64.7%)

1998 9^th place among 10 provinces

55.8% charge rate

2,889 reported Assault with Weapon without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (63.2%)

1997 9^th place among 10 provinces

56.1% charge rate

2,953 reported Assault with Weapon without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (63.5%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) ASSAULT WITH WEAPON

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	95	69	70	73.7%
2^nd	Newfoundland 519,570	569	110	416	73.1%
3^rd	Ontario 12,238,300	14,655	120	10,211	69.7%
4^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	1,134	121	789	69.6%
5^th	Manitoba 1,162,776	3,338	287	2,198	65.8%
6^th	Saskatchewan 994,843	3,469	349	2,232	64.3%
	CANADA 31,629,677	44,791	142	27,901	Canadian average 62.3%
7^th	Alberta 3,153,723	4,760	151	2,875	60.4%
8^th	Quebec 7,487,169	8,534	114	5,032	59.0%
9^th	New Brunswick 750,594	788	105	439	55.7%
10^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	6,750	163	3,212	47.6% *

*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 British Columbia there were 3,538 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) ASSAULT WITH WEAPON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 139,913	79	56	58	73.4%
2^nd	Ontario 12,068,301	14,772	122	10,532	71.35
3^rd	Manitoba 1,150,848	3,359	292	2,300	68.5%
4^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	947	100	638	67.4%
5^th	Newfoundland 531,595	603	113	397	65.8%
	CANADA 31,629,677	43,427	138	27,545	Canadian average 63.4%
6^th	Alberta 3,113,586	4,375	141	2,727	62.3%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	3,189	315	1,903	59.7%
8^th	Quebec 7,455,208	8,352	112	4,955	59.3%
9^th	New Brunswick 756,652	657	87	351	53.4%
10^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	6,487	157	3,311	51.0%

In British Columbia there were 3,176 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) ASSAULT WITH WEAPON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	New Brunswick 757,077	10	1	9	90%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 138,514	65	47	56	86.2%
3^rd	Ontario 11,874,436	14,788	125	10,474	70.8%
4^th	Manitoba 1,150,034	3,369	293	2,265	67.2%
5^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	850	90	564	66.4%
6^th	Alberta 3,064,249	4,416	144	2,778	62.9%
	CANADA 31,081,887	42,959	138	26,940	Canadian average 62.7%%
7^th	Newfoundland 533,761	591	111	365	61.8%
8^th	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	3,180	313	1,855	58.3%
9^th	Quebec 7,410,504	8,312	112	4,847	58.35
10^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	6,211	152	3,114	50.1% *

In British Columbia there were 3,097 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) ASSAULT WITH WEAPON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,669,344	13,922	119	9,957	71.5%
2^nd	Newfoundland 538,823	549	102	391	71.2%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,147,880	3,304	288	2,252	68.2%
4^th	Prince Edward Island 138,928	70	50	47	67.1%
5^th	Alberta 2,997,236	4,048	135	2,660	65.7%
	CANADA 30,750,087	40,600	132	25,868	Canadian average 63.7%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	2,810	274	1,775	63.4%
7^th	New Brunswick 756,598	648	86	396	61.1%
8^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	808	86	485	60.0%
9^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	6,316	155	3,465	54.9% *
10^th	Quebec 7,372,448	7,759	105	4,203	54.2%

In British Columbia there were 2,851 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) ASSAULT WITH WEAPON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,513,808	12,961	113	9,129	70.4%
2^nd	Alberta 2,964,689	3,767	127	2,598	69.0%
3^rd	Newfoundland 541,000	523	97	361	69.0%
4^th	Manitoba 1,143,509	2,927	256	1,971	67.3%
5^th	Prince Edward Island 137,980	40	29	26	65.0%
	CANADA 30,491,294	37,432	123	24,218	Canadian average 64.7%
6^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	812	86	522	64.3%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	2,520	245	1,562	62.0%
8^th	Quebec 7,345,390	6,703	91	3,973	59.3%
9^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	6,119	152	3,477	56.8%
10^th	New Brunswick 754,969	717	95	395	55.1%

In British Columbia there were 2,642 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) ASSAULT WITH WEAPON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 136,388	65	48	50	76.9%
2^nd	Alberta 2,914,918	3,860	132	2,722	70.5%
3^rd	Nova Scotia 934,587	706	76	487	69.0%
4^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	3,037	267	2,081	68.5%
5^th	Ontario 11,411,547	12,786	112	8,585	67.1%
6^th	Newfoundland 544,400	490	90	316	64.5%
	CANADA 30,300,422	37,209	123	23,532	Canadian average 63.2%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	2,391	233	1,447	60.5%
8^th	Quebec 7,333,283	6,335	86	3,637	57.4%
9^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	6,538	163	3,649	55.8% *
10^th	New Brunswick 752,999	647	86	326	50.4%

In British Columbia there were 2,889 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) ASSAULT WITH WEAPON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 562,000	476	85	345	72.5%
2^nd	Alberta 2,841,300	3,561	125	2,533	71.1%
3^rd	Prince Edward Island 137,100	80	58	54	67.5%
4^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	845	89	569	67.3%
5^th	Manitoba 1,142,200	2,773	243	1,833	66.1%
6^th	Ontario 11,421,600	13,085	115	8,616	65.8%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	2,384	233	1,541	64.6%
	CANADA 30,285,800	36,618	121	23,260	Canadian average 63.5%
8^th	Quebec 7,431,000	5,621	76	3,384	60.2%
9^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	6,734	172	3,781	56.1%
10^th	New Brunswick 761,100	670	88	352	52.5%

In British Columbia there were 2,953 reported Assault with Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

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