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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 OFFENSIVE WEAPONS (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 10^th place among 10 provinces

32.2% charge rate

3,013 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (47.5%)

2002 9^th place among 10 provinces

31.1% charge rate

2,839 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (49.2%)

2001 10^th place among 10 provinces

28.8% charge rate

2,710 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (51.2%)

2000 10^th place among 10 provinces

30.3% charge rate

2,272 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (53.2%)

1999 10^th place among 10 provinces

31.8% charge rate

2,403 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (49.5%)

1998 9^th place among 10 provinces

32.4% charge rate

2,498 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (49.2%)

1997 10^th place among 10 provinces

34.6% charge rate

2,172 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (52.9%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

(Includes: Firearm usage, Weapons possession, Trafficking, Import/export, Other offensive weapons)

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	Quebec 7,487,169	1,326	18	809	61.0%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 994,843	967	97	587	60.7%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,162,776	1,262	109	685	54.3%
4^th	Ontario 12,238,300	5,020	41	2,723	54.2%
5^th	Alberta 3,153,723	2,338	74	1,203	51.5%
	CANADA 31,629,677	16,940	54	8,053	Canadian average 47.5%
6^th	New Brunswick 750,594	431	57	194	45%
7^th	Newfoundland 519,570	166	32	64	38.6%
8^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	664	71	254	38.3%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 137,781	71	52	26	36.6%
10^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	4,450	107	1,437	32.2% *

*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

Those responsible for 3,013 Offensive Weapon incidents in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Quebec 7,455,208	1,204	16	775	64.4%
2^nd	Ontario 12,068,301	4,925	41	2,884	58.6%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	899	89	520	57.8%
4^th	Alberta 3,113,586	2,113	68	1,167	55.3%
5^th	Manitoba 1,150,848	1,112	97	611	54.9%
	CANADA 31,629,677	15,834	50	7,795	Canadian average 49.2%
6^th	New Brunswick 756,652	397	52	176	44.3%
7^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	38	27	15	39.5%
8^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	623	66	231	37.1%
9^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	4,121	100	1,282	31.1% *
10^th	Newfoundland 531,595	214	40	62	29.0%

In British Columbia there were 2,839 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Quebec 7,410,504	1,231	17	801	65.1%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	820	81	496	60.5%
^rd	Alberta 3,064,249	1,867	61	1,108	59.3%
4^th	Ontario 11,874,436	7,098	60	4,180	58.9%
5^th	Manitoba 1,150,034	1,183	103	643	54.4%
6^th	Prince Edward Island 138,514	40	29	21	52.5%
	CANADA 31,081,887	17,456	56	8,937	Canadian average 51.2%
7^th	New Brunswick 757,077	391	52	196	50.1%
8^th	Newfoundland 533,761	190	36	86	45.3%
9^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	623	66	220	35.3%
10^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	3,807	93	1,097	28.8% *

In British Columbia there were 2,710 reported Offensive Weapons incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Prince Edward Island 138,928	33	24	29	87.9%
2^nd	Quebec 7,372,448	1,150	16	736	64%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	701	68	440	62.8%
4^th	New Brunswick 756,598	346	46	211	61.0%
5^th	Alberta 2,997,236	1,622	54	976	60.2%
6^th	Ontario 11,669,344	6,279	54	3,757	59.8%
7^th	Manitoba 1,147,880	1,063	93	610	57.4%
	CANADA 30,750,087	15,306	50	8,140	Canadian average 53.2%
8^th	Newfoundland 538,823	176	33	82	46.6%
9^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	502	53	228	45.4%
10^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	3,261	80	989	30.3%

In British Columbia there were 2,272 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Quebec 7,345,390	1,136	15	714	62.8%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 137,980	29	21	17	58.6%
3^rd	Alberta 2,964,689	1,666	56	964	57.9%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	853	83	476	55.8%
5^th	Ontario 11,513,808	6,567	57	3,537	53.9%
6^th	Manitoba 1,143,509	1,164	102	621	53.4%
7^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	469	50	242	51.6%
	CANADA 30,491,294	16,043	53	7,937	Canadian average 49.5%
8^th	New Brunswick 754,969	386	51	146	37.8%
9^th	Newfoundland 541,000	168	31	58	34.5%
10^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	3,438	85	1,095	31.8% *

In British Columbia there were 2,403 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Alberta 2,914,918	1,945	67	1,227	63.1%
2^nd	Quebec 7,333,283	997	14	623	62.5%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,138,872	1,070	94	579	54.1%
4^th	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	860	84	461	53.6%
5^th	Ontario 11,411,547	7,112	62	3,654	51.4%
6^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	489	52	247	50.5%
	CANADA 30,300,422	16,735	55	8,239	Canadian average 49.2%
7^th	New Brunswick 752,999	221	29	104	47.1%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 136,388	37	27	16	43.2%
9^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	3,697	92	1,199	32.4%
10^th	Newfoundland 544,400	126	23	38	30.2%

In British Columbia there were 2,498 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) OFFENSIVE WEAPONS

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Quebec 7,431,000	1,039	14	703	67.7%
2^nd	Alberta 2,841,300	2,030	71	1,284	63.3%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	823	81	479	58.2%
4^th	Ontario 11,421,600	6,422	56	3,657	56.9%
5^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	476	50	269	56.5%
6^th	Newfoundland 562,000	135	24	74	54.8%
	CANADA 30,285,800	16,079	53	8,511	Canadian average 52.9%
7^th	Manitoba 1,142,200	1,202	105	624	51.9%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 137,100	65	47	33	50.8%
9^th	New Brunswick 761,100	334	44	141	42.2%
10^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	3,322	85	1,150	34.6% *

In British Columbia there were 2,172 reported Offensive Weapon incidents without criminal charges.

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