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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 HAVE STOLEN GOODS (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 10^th place among 10 provinces

50.3% charge rate

3,506 reported Have Stolen Goods without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (74.2%)

2002 10^th place among 10 provinces

56.9% charge rate

2,645 reported Have Stolen Goods without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (78.3%)

2001 9^th place among 10 provinces

60.3% charge rate

2,122 reported Have Stolen Goods without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (80.0%)

2000 10^th place among 10 provinces

66.3% charge rate

1,616 reported Have Stolen Goods without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (81.6%)

1999 7^th place among 10 provinces

65.1% charge rate

1,813 reported Have Stolen Goods without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (80.4%)

1998 10^th place among 10 provinces

62.1% charge rate

2,120 reported Have Stolen Goods without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (80.4%)

1997 9^th place among 10 provinces

64.9% charge rate

2,002 reported Have Stolen Goods without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (82.6%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) HAVE STOLEN GOODS

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

1st	Ontario 12,238,300	11,737	96	10,147	86.5%
2^nd	Alberta 3,153,723	5,201	165	4,436	85.3%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,162,776	972	84	767	78.9%
4^th	Saskatchewan 994,843	2,236	225	1,698	75.9%
	CANADA 31,629,677	32,777	104	24,332	Canadian average 74.2%
5^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	1,854	198	1,330	71.7%
6^th	Quebec 7,487,169	2,797	37	1,865	66.7%
7^th	Newfoundland 519,570	220	42	139	63.2%
8^th	New Brunswick 750,594	488	65	286	58.6%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 137,781	89	65	52	58.4%
10^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	7,055	170	3,549	50.3% *

*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 3,506 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) HAVE STOLEN GOODS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Ontario 12,068,301	10,400	86	9,449	90.9%
2^nd	Alberta 3,113,586	4,381	141	3,780	86.3%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,150,848	890	77	750	84.3%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	1,921	190	1,593	82.9%
	CANADA 31,629,677	27,836	89	21,798	Canadian average 78.3%
5^th	Newfoundland 531,595	148	28	110	74.3%
6^th	Quebec 7,455,208	3,073	41	2,098	68.3%
7^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	260	28	163	62.7%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	51	36	31	60.8%
9^th	New Brunswick 756,652	435	57	256	58.9%
10^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	6,139	148	3,494	56.9% *

In British Columbia there were 2,645 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) HAVE STOLEN GOODS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Ontario 11,874,436	11,472	97	10,416	90.8%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,150,034	950	83	851	89.6%
3^rd	Alberta 3,064,249	4,055	132	3,399	83.8%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	2,101	207	1,711	81.4%
	CANADA 31,081,887	29,565	95	23,627	Canadian average 80.0%
5^th	Newfoundland 533,761	154	29	123	79.9%
6^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	1,691	179	1,344	79.5%
7^th	Quebec 7,410,504	3,072	41	2,126	69.2%
8^th	New Brunswick 757,077	541	71	335	61.9%
9^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	5,344	130	3,222	60.3% *
10^th	Prince Edward Island 138,514	72	52	43	59.7%

In British Columbia there were 2,122 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) HAVE STOLEN GOODS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 138,928	65	47	60	92.3%
2^nd	Ontario 11,669,344	11,310	97	10,173	90.0%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	2,122	207	1,804	85.0%
4^th	Manitoba 1,147,880	932	81	790	84.8%
5^th	Alberta 2,997,236	4,306	144	3,632	84.3%
6^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	1,412	150	1,171	83.0%
	CANADA 30,750,087	28,317	92	21,118	Canadian average 81.6%
7^th	Newfoundland 538,823	171	32	133	77.8%
8^th	New Brunswick 756,598	443	59	307	69.3%
9^th	Quebec 7,372,448	2,664	36	1,815	68.1%
10^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	4,794	118	3,178	66.3%

In British Columbia there were 1,616 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) HAVE STOLEN GOODS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,513,808	11,933	104	10,808	90.6%
2^nd	Alberta 2,964,689	4,436	150	3,781	85.2%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	2,149	209	1,788	83.2%
4^th	Manitoba 1,143,509	707	62	572	80.9%
	CANADA 30,491,294	28,656	94	23,053	Canadian average 80.4%
5^th	Quebec 7,345,390	2,604	35	1,881	72.2%
6^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	452	48	317	70.1%
7^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	5,202	129	3,389	65.1% *
8^th	Newfoundland 541,000	225	42	136	60.4%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 137,980	78	57	43	55.1%
0^th	New Brunswick 754,969	781	103	276	35.3%

In British Columbia there were 1,813 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) HAVE STOLEN GOODS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,411,547	12,815	112	11,590	90.4%
2^nd	Alberta 2,914,918	3,805	131	3,276	86.1%
	CANADA 30,300,422	28,733	95	23,103	Canadian average 80.4%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	2,134	208	1,699	79.6%
4^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	732	64	565	77.2%
5^th	Newfoundland 544,400	191	35	135	70.7%
6^th	Quebec 7,333,283	2,435	33	1,686	69.2%
7^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	396	42	270	68.2%
8^th	New Brunswick 752,999	499	66	333	66.7%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 136,388	50	37	33	66%
10^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	5,599	140	3,479	62.1%

In British Columbia there were 2,120 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) HAVE STOLEN GOODS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,421,600	13,022	114	11,867	91.1%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 137,100	57	42	51	89.5%
3^rd	Alberta 2,841,300	3,790	133	3,298	87.0%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	2,105	206	1,763	83.8%
	CANADA 30,285,800	29,544	98	24,389	Canadian average 82.6%
5^th	Manitoba 1,142,200	867	76	715	82.5%
6^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	350	37	277	79.1%
7^h	Quebec 7,431,000	2,759	37	2,133	77.3%
8^th	Newfoundland 562,000	175	31	118	67.4%
9^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	5,704	145	3,702	64.9%
10^th	New Brunswick 761,100	599	79	380	63.4%

In British Columbia there were 2,002 reported Have Stolen Goods incidents without criminal charges.

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