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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 FRAUD (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 9^thplace among 10 provinces

18.9% charge rate

12,092 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (31.1%)

2002 10^th place among 10 provinces

21.3% charge rate

10,211 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (31.3%)

2001 9^th place among 10 provinces

23.2% charge rate

9,403 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (35.6%)

2000 8^th place among 10 provinces

30.7% charge rate

8,109 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (39.2%)

1999 9^th place among 10 provinces

33.2% charge rate

8,529 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (41.0%)

1998 9^th place among 10 provinces

36.2% charge rate

8,894 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (42.5%)

1997 6^th place among 10 provinces

37.4% charge rate

9,316 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (42.5%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) FRAUD

(Includes: Cheques, Credit cards, 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	393	285	210	53.4%
2^nd	Alberta 3,153,723	13,846	439	5,693	40.5%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 994,843	4,216	424	1,673	39.7%
4^th	Newfoundland 519,570	1,166	224	423	36.3%
5^th	Ontario 12,238,300	33,038	270	10,634	32.2%
	CANADA 31,629,677	92,838	294	28,948	Canadian Average 31.1%
6^th	New Brunswick 750,594	2,532	337	786	31.0%
7^th	Quebec 7,487,169	17,198	230	4,811	28.0%
8^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	2,698	288	744	27.6%
9^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	14,905	359	2,813	18.9%
10^th	Manitoba 1,162,776	2,447	210	8,569	13,.2%

*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 12,092 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) FRAUD

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,150,848	2,571	223	1,119	43.5%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	4,139	409	1,630	39.4%
3^rd	Alberta 3,113,586	12,922	313	2,762	21.3%
4^th	Newfoundland 531,595	1,101	207	416	37.8%
5^th	Ontario 12,068,301	33,400	277	11,540	34.6%
	CANADA 31,629,677	91,235	290	28,588	Canadian average 31.3%
6^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	431	308	128	29.7%
7^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	2,408	255	631	26.2%
8^th	New Brunswick 756,652	2,364	312	617	26.1%
9^th	Quebec 7,455,208	18,566	249	4,582	24.7%
10^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	12,973	313	2,762	21.3%

In British Columbia there were 10,211 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) FRAUD

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Manitoba 1,150,034	2,818	245	1,355	48.1%
2^nd	Alberta 3,064,249	11,799	385	5,094	43.2%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	4,163	410	1,727	41.5%
4^th	Newfoundland 533,761	1,308	245	538	41.1%
5^th	Ontario 11,874,436	31,991	269	12,095	37.8%
6^th	New Brunswick 757,077	2,446	323	876	35.8%
	CANADA 31,081,887	88,332	284	31,448	Canadian average 35.6%
7^th	Quebec 7,410,504	17,871	241	5,886	32.9%
8^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	2,960	314	884	30.0%
9^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	12,237	299	2,834	23.2% *
10^th	Prince Edward Island 138,514	365	264	80	21.9%

In British Columbia there were 9,403 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) FRAUD

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,147,880	2,457	214	1,183	48.1%
2^nd	Alberta 2,997,236	11,804	394	5,516	46.7%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	4,155	406	1,839	44.3%
4^th	Newfoundland 538,823	1,310	243	568	43.3%
5^th	Ontario 11,669,344	30,392	260	12,910	42.5%
	CANADA 30,750,087	85,669	279	33,586	Canadian average 39.2%
6^th	New Brunswick 756,598	2,580	341	1,004	38.9%
7^th	Quebec 7,372,448	17,577	`238	5,952	33.9%
8^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	11,709	288	3,600	30.7% *
9^th	Prince Edward Island 138,928	382	275	116	30.4%
10^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	2,973	316	816	27.4%

In British Columbia there were 8,109 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) FRAUD

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,143,509	2,800	245	1,752	62.6%
2^nd	Newfoundland 541,000	1,693	3113	968	57.2%
3^rd	Alberta 2,964,689	13,223	446	6,246	47.2%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	4,702	457	2,165	46.0%
5^th	Ontario 11,513,808	29,968	260	12,71	42.6%
6^th	New Brunswick 754,969	2,886	382	1,222	42.3%
	CANADA 30,491,294	90,568	297	37,156	Canadian average 41.0%
7^th	Prince Edward Island 137,980	477	346	190	39.8%
8^th	Quebec 7,345,390	18,430	251	6,424	34.9%
9^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	12,766	317	4,237	33.2% *
10^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	3,272	348	190	31.8%

In British Columbia there were 8,529 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) FRAUD

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,138,872	3,852	338	2,210	57.4%
2^nd	Newfoundland 544,400	1,635	300	863	52.8%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	4,987	487	2,448	49.1%
4^th	Alberta 2,914,918	14,162	486	6,593	46.6%
5^th	Ontario 11,411,547	31,679	278	13,764	43.4%
	CANADA 30,300,422	94,575	312	40,168	Canadian average 42.5%
6^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	3,413	365	1,389	40.7%
7^th	New Brunswick 752,999	2,624	348	1,044	39.8%
8^th	Quebec 7,333,283	17,459	238	6,532	37.4%
9^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	13,943	348	5,049	36.2%
10^th	Prince Edward Island 136,388	494	362	176	35.6%

In British Columbia there were 8,894 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) FRAUD

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 562,000	1,630	290	881	54.0%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,142,200	4,062	356	2,012	49.5%
3^rd	Alberta 2,841,300	12,067	425	5,812	48.2%
4^th	Ontario 11,421,600	33,373	292	14,785	44.3%
	CANADA 30,285,800	96,694	319	41,113	Canadian average 42.5%
5^th	Quebec 7,431,000	17,844	240	7,069	39.6%
6^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	14,888	380	5,572	37.4% *
7^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	3,861	408	1,362	35.2%
8^th	New Brunswick 761,100	2,707	356	891	32.9%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 137,100	470	343	175	32.2%
10^th	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	5,322	521	2,424	20.1%

In British Columbia there were 9,316 reported Fraud incidents without criminal charges.

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