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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 ROBBERY (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 10^thplace among 10 provinces

27.8% charge rate

3,207 reported Robberies without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (31.1%)

2002 10^thplace among 10 provinces

27.6% charge rate

3,344 reported Robberies without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (32.0%)

2001 10^thplace among 10 provinces

28.6% charge rate

4,626 reported Robberies without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (32.7%)

2000 10^thplace among 10 provinces

39.9% charge rate

3,645 reported Robberies without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (45.8%)

1999 10^thplace among 10 provinces

25.3% charge rate

4,194 reported Robberies without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (29.5%)

1998 10^thplace among 10 provinces

25.8% charge rate

4,207 reported Robberies without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (29.0%)

1997 10^thplace among 10 provinces

24.2% charge rate

4,495 reported Robberies without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (26.7%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) ROBBERY

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	18	13	10	55.6%
2^nd	Newfoundland 519,570	64	12	30	46.9%
3^rd	New Brunswick 750,594	206	27	81	39.3%
4^th	Manitoba 1,162,776	1,753	151	613	35.0%
5^th	Alberta 3,153,723	3,210	102	1,098	34.2%
6^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	623	67	206	33.1%
7^th	Ontario 12,238,300	9,567	78	2,997	31.3%
	CANADA 31,629,677	28,332	90	8,819	Canadian Average 31.1%
8^th	Saskatchewan 994,843	1,427	143	433	30.3%
9^th	Quebec 7,487,169	6,952	93	2,084	30.0%
10^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	4,443	107	1,236	27.8% *

*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 3,207 Robberies in this province in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) ROBBERY

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 139,913	19	14	10	52.6%
2^nd	New Brunswick 756,652	231	31	118	51.0%
3^rd	Newfoundland 531,595	83	16	39	47%
4^th	Alberta 3,113,586	2,637	85	967	36.7%
5^th	Manitoba 1,150,848	1,635	142	560	34.3%
6^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	557	59	187	33.6%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	1,068	106	354	33.1%
8^th	Ontario 12,068,301	8,908	74	2,884	32.4%
	CANADA 31,629,677	26,700	85	8,539	Canadian average 32%
9^th	Quebec 7,455,208	6,887	92	2,124	30.8%
10^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	4,616	111	1,272	27.6%

Those responsible for 3,344 Robberies in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) ROBBERY

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Newfoundland 533,761	67	13	32	47.8%
2^nd	New Brunswick 757,077	184	24	87	47.3%
3^rd	Alberta 3,064,249	2,726	89	1,037	38.0%
4^th	Manitoba 1,150,034	1,819	58	651	35.8%
5^th	Prince Edward Island 138,514	23	17	8	34.8%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	1,088	107	374	34.4%
7^th	Ontario 11,874,436	8,997	76	3,025	33.6%
	CANADA 31,081,887	27,414	88	8,973	Canadian average 32.7%
8^th	Quebec 7,410,504	7,198	97	2,218	30.8%
9^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	627	67	180	28.7%
10^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	4,626	113	1,325	28.6% *

In British Columbia there were 3,301 reported Robbery incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) ROBBERY

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	New Brunswick 756,598	166	22	85	51.2%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,147,880	1,845	161	695	37.7%
3^rd	Alberta 2,997,236	2,532	84	942	37.2%
4^th	Newfoundland 538,823	57	11	21	36.8%
5^th	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	919	90	337	36.7%
6^th	Ontario 11,669,344	8,396	72	2,775	33.1%
	CANADA 30,750,087	27,012	88	8,491	Canadian average 31.4%
7^th	Quebec 7,372,448	7,642	104	2,234	29.2%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 138,928	14	10	4	28.6%
9^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	521	55	143	27.4%
10^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	4,877	120	1,232	25.3%

In British Columbia there were 3,645 reported Robbery incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) ROBBERY

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 137,980	19	14	11	57.9%
2^nd	Newfoundland 541,000	64	12	37	57.8%
3^rd	New Brunswick 754,969	162	21	69	42.6%
4^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	425	45	155	36.5%
5^th	Alberta 2,964,689	2,542	86	893	35.1%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	887	86	283	31.9%
7^th	Ontario 11,513,808	8,720	76	2,719	31.2%
	CANADA 30,491,294	28,745	94	8,475	Canadian average 29.5%
8^th	Manitoba 1,143,509	1,987	174	562	28.3%
9^th	Quebec 7,345,390	8,287	76	2,719	31.2%
10^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	5,611	139	1,417	25.3% *

In British Columbia there were 4,194 reported Robbery incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) ROBBERY

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 136,388	24	18	15	62.5%
2^nd	Newfoundland 544,400	74	14	43	58.1%
3^rd	New Brunswick 752,999	145	19	60	41.4%
4^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	458	49	163	35.6%
5^th	Alberta 2,914,918	2,560	88	890	34.8%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	990	97	339	34.2%
7^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	1,821	160	608	33.3%
	CANADA 30,300,422	28,952	96	8,384	Canadian average 29.0%
8^th	Quebec 7,333,283	8,010	109	2,244	28.0%
9^th	Ontario 11,411,547	9,152	80	2,530	27.6%
10^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	5,669	141	1,462	25.8%

In British Columbia there were 4,207 reported Robbery incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) ROBBERY

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 137,100	17	12	19	112%
2^nd	New Brunswick 761,100	145	19	73	50.3%
3^rd	Alberta 2,841,300	2,333	82	820	35.1%
4^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	425	45	142	33.4%
5^th	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	971	95	304	31.3%
6^th	Newfoundland 562,000	68	12	20	29.4%
7^th	Manitoba 1,142,200	2,136	187	572	26.8%
	CANADA 30,285,800	29,590	98	7,907	Canadian average 26.7%
8^th	Quebec 7,431,000	8,224	111	2,133	25.9%
9^th	Ontario 11,421,600	9,272	81	2,351	25.4%
10^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	5,931	151	1,436	24.2%

In British Columbia there were 4,495 reported Robbery incidents without criminal charges.

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