Prime Time Crime

Page 16

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 THEFT OVER $5,000 (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 4^thplace among 10 provinces

18.5% charge rate

2,052 reported Theft over $5,000 without criminal charges

ABOVE Canadian average (11.3%)

2002 8^th place among 10 provinces

12.7% charge rate

1,917 reported Theft over $5,000 without criminal charges

ABOVE Canadian average (11.0%)

2001 8^th place among 10 provinces

11.1% charge rate

2,107 reported Theft over $5,000 without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (10.7%)

2000 8^th place among 10 provinces

10.3% charge rate

2,021 reported Theft over $5,000 without criminal charges

ABOVE Canadian average (10.2%)

1999 9^th place among 10 provinces

10.0% charge rate

2,217 reported Theft over $5,000 without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (10.7%)

1998 6^th place among 10 provinces

11.9% charge rate

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

ABOVE Canadian average (10.5%)

1997 9^th place among 10 provinces

10.0% charge rate

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

BELOW Canadian average (11.0%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) THEFT OVER $5,000

(Includes: Bicycles, From motor vehicles, Shoplifting, Other)

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	66	48	20	30.3%
2^nd	Newfoundland 519,570	141	27	40	28.4%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,162,776	461	40	110	23.9%
4^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	2,519	61	467	18.5%
5^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	287	31	50	17.4%
6^th	Alberta 3,153,723	1,979	63	310	15.7%
7^th	New Brunswick 750,594	356	47	56	15.7%
8^th	Saskatchewan 994,843	589	59	87	14.8%
	CANADA 31,629,677	20,124	64	2,279	Canadian Average 11.3%
9^th	Ontario 12,238,300	6,760	55	641	9.5%
10^th	Quebec 7,487,169	6,862	92	476	6.9%

*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 2,052 Thefts (over $5,000) in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) THEFT OVER $5,000

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 139,913	67	48	29	43.3%
2^nd	Newfoundland 531,595	159	30	39	24.5%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,150,848	487	42	109	22.4%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	507	50	102	20.1%
5^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	264	28	52	19.7%
6^th	Alberta 3,113,586	2,005	64	273	13.6%
7^th	New Brunswick 756,652	318	42	42	13.2%
8^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	2,195	53	278	12.7%
	CANADA 31,629,677	19,885	63	2,191	Canadian average 11%
9^th	Ontario 12,068,301	7,199	60	721	10.0%
10^th	Quebec 7,455,208	6,617	89	531	8.0%

Those responsible for 1,917 Thefts (over $5,000) in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) THEFT OVER $5,000

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Nova Scotia 942,691	279	30	58	20.7%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 138,514	64	46	13	20.3%
3^rd	Newfoundland 533,761	151	28	30	19.9%
4^th	Manitoba 1,150,034	495	43	96	19.4%
5^th	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	582	57	96	16.5%
6^th	Alberta 3,064,249	1,781	58	289	16.2%
7^th	New Brunswick 757,077	396	52	58	14.6%
8^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	2,371	58	264	11.1% *
	CANADA 31,081,887	21,146	68	2,269	Canadian average 10.7%
9^th	Ontario 11,874,436	8,418	71	818	9.7%
10^th	Quebec 7,410,504	6,505	88	513	7.9%

In British Columbia there were 2,107 reported Theft over $5,000 incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) THEFT OVER $5,000

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 538,823	135	25	41	30.3%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,147,880	503	44	95	18.9%
3^rd	Alberta 2,997,236	1,853	62	344	18.6%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	681	67	127	18.6%
5^th	New Brunswick 756,598	377	50	69	18.3%
6^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	339	36	44	13.0%
7^th	Prince Edward Island 138,928	66	48	7	13.0%
8^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	2,254	55	233	10.3%
	CANADA 30,750,087	21,381	70	2,191	Canadian average 10.2%
9^th	Ontario 11,669,344	8,704	75	767	8.8%
10^th	Quebec 7,372,448	6,356	86	453	7.1%

In British Columbia there were 2,021 reported Theft over $5,000 incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) THEFT OVER $5,000

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 137,980	78	57	26	33.3%
2^nd	Newfoundland 541,000	148	27	49	33.1%
3^rd	Nova Scotia 939,791	406	43	70	17.2%
4^th	New Brunswick 754,969	604	80	95	15.7%
5^th	Manitoba 1,143,509	850	74	130	15.3%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	981	95	140	14.3%
7^th	Alberta 2,964,689	2,533	85	343	13.5%
	CANADA 30,491,294	22,478	74	2,396	Canadian average 10.7%
8^th	Quebec 7,345,390	5,974	81	599	10.0%
9^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	2,464	61	247	10.0%
10^th	Ontario 11,513,808	8,231	71	681	8.3% *

In British Columbia there were 2,217 reported Theft over $5,000 incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) THEFT OVER $5,000

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 544,400	225	41	63	28.0%
2^nd	Alberta 2,914,918	2,365	81	349	14.8%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	956	93	140	14.6%
4^th	New Brunswick 752,999	1,189	158	168	14.1%
5^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	433	46	52	12.0%
6^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	2,583	645	307	11.9%
	CANADA 30,300,422	23,834	79	2,496	Canadian average 10.5%
7^th	Quebec 7,333,283	6,111	83	568	9.3%
8^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	1,049	92	94	9.0%
9^th	Ontario 11,411,547	8,567	75	701	8.2%
10^th	Prince Edward Island 136,388	67	49	5	7.5%

In British Columbia there were 2,276 reported Theft over$5,000 incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) THEFT OVER $5,000

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 562,000	236	42	49	20.8%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,142,200	965	84	187	19.4%
3^rd	Alberta 2,841,300	2,284	80	357	15.65
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	993	97	154	15.5%
5^th	Prince Edward Island 137,100	140	102	20	14.3%
6^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	463	49	63	13.6%
7^th	New Brunswick 761,100	909	119	117	12.9%
	CANADA 30,285,800	24,026	79	2,633	Canadian average 11.0%
8^th	Quebec 7,431,000	5,625	76	600	10.7%
9^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	2,921	74	282	10.0% *
10^th	Ontario 11,421,600	9,175	80	736	8.0%

In British Columbia there were 2,639 reported Theft over $5,000 incidents without criminal charges.

Prime Time Crime current headlines

The Best Place on Earth Page 17