Prime Time Crime

Page 22

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 MISCHIEF (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 10^th place among 10 provinces

3.1% charge rate

61,994 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (5.8%)

2002 10^th place among 10 provinces

3.7% charge rate

58,406 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (6.9%)

2001 10^th place among 10 provinces

3.8% charge rate

58,069 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (7.2%)

2000 10^th place among 10 provinces

3.6% charge rate

55,080 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (7.3%)

1999 10^th place among 10 provinces

4.0% charge rate

52,939 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (7.5%)

1998 10^th place among 10 provinces

4.1% charge rate

55,964 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (7.4%)

1997 10^th place among 10 provinces

4.3% charge rate

60,571 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (7.4%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) MISCHIEF

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	Saskatchewan 994,843	24,693	2,482	2,065	8.4%
2^nd	Ontario 12,238,300	99,083	810	7,024	7.1%
3^rd	New Brunswick 750,594	8,145	1,085	563	6.9%
4^th	Quebec 7,487,169	50,696	677	3,374	6.7%
5^th	Alberta 3,153,723	48,488	1,537	2,949	6.1%
6^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	13,902	1,485	847	6.1%
	CANADA 31,629,677	356,143	1,126	20,752	Canadian average 5.8%
7^th	Newfoundland 519,570	6,359	1,224	328	5.2%
8^th	Manitoba 1,162,776	30,052	2,585	1,185	3.9%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 137,781	2,035	1,477	76	3.7%
10^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	64,007	1,544	2,013	3.1% *

*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 61,994 Mischief incidents in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) MISCHIEF

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	21,061	2,082	2,045	9.7%
2^nd	Ontario 12,068,301	96,243	797	7,880	8.2%
3^rd	Alberta 3,113,586	44,019	1,414	3,381	7.7%
4^th	Quebec 7,455,208	50,070	672	3,795	7.6%
5^th	New Brunswick 756,652	7,510	993	542	7.2%
	CANADA 31,629,677	332,723	1,059	22,880	Canadian average 6.9%
6^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	11,824	1,252	790	6.7%
7^th	Newfoundland 531,595	5,880	1,106	371	6.3%
8^th	Manitoba 1,150,848	26,335	2,2288	1,413	5.4%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	1,827	1,306	87	4.8%
10^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	60,621	1,464	2,215	3.7% *

Those responsible for 58,406 Mischief incidents in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) MISCHIEF

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	20,610	2,029	2,140	10.4%
2^nd	New Brunswick 757,077	7,259	959	714	9.8%
3^rd	Ontario 11,874,436	104,064	876	9,402	9.0%
4^th	Alberta 3,064,249	43,674	1,425	3,291	7.5%
5^th	Newfoundland 533,761	5,456	1,022	406	7.4%
6^th	Quebec 7,410,504	51,775	699	3,788	7.3%
	CANADA 31,081,887	338,425	1,089	24,360	Canadian average 7.2%
7^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	11,383	1,208	684	6.0%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 138,514	1,602	1,157	95	5.9%
9^th	Manitoba 1,150,034	25,939	2,255	1,263	4.9%
10^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	60,343	1,473	2,274	3.8% *

In British Columbia there were 58,069 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) MISCHIEF

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	19,512	1,906	1,923	9.9%
2^nd	Ontario 11,669,344	101,373	869	9,173	9.0%
3^rd	Alberta 2,997,236	40,464	1,350	3,466	8.6%
4^th	New Brunswick 756,598	7,138	943	597	8.4%
5^th	Prince Edward Island 138,928	1,703	1,226	142	8.3%
6^th	Newfoundland 538,823	5,230	971	391	7.5%
	CANADA 30,750,087	326,369	1,061	23,899	Canadian average 7.3%
7^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	11,430	1,215	815	7.1%
8^th	Quebec 7,372,448	54,605	741	3,804	7.0%
9^th	Manitoba 1,147,880	22,218	1,936	1,213	5.5%
10^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	57,156	1,406	2,076	3.6% *

In British Columbia there were 55,080 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) MISCHIEF

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	16,833	1,638	1,818	10.8%
2^nd	New Brunswick 754,969	7,544	999	711	9.4%
3^rd	Alberta 2,964,689	37,999	1,282	3,381	8.9%
4^th	Ontario 11,513,808	97,269	845	8,667	8.9%
5^th	Prince Edward Island 137,980	1,784	1,293	150	8.4%
6^th	Newfoundland 541,000	4,912	908	385	7.8%
	CANADA 30,491,294	312,563	1,025	23,417	Canadian average 7.5%
7^th	Quebec 7,345,390	51,194	697	3,567	7.0%
8^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	12,445	1,324	843	6.8%
9^th	Manitoba 1,143,509	22,825	1,996	1,339	5.9%
10^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	55,173	1,371	2,234	4.0% *

In British Columbia there were 52,939 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) MISCHIEF

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	17,255	1,684	2,041	11.8%
2^nd	New Brunswick 752,999	6,561	871	679	10.3%
3^rd	Alberta 2,914,918	38,601	1,324	3,703	9.6%
4^th	Newfoundland 544,400	4,723	868	402	8.5%
5^th	Ontario 11,411,547	106,538	934	8,882	8.3%
6^th	Prince Edward Island 136,388	1,414	1,037	112	7.9%
	CANADA 30,300,422	325,884	1,076	24,269	Canadian average 7.4%
7^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	21,339	1,874	1,451	6.8%
8^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	11,942	1,278	792	6.6%
9^th	Quebec 7,333,283	54,649	745	3,435	6.3%
10^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	58,378	1,456	2,414	4.1% *

In British Columbia there were 55,964 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) MISCHIEF

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	New Brunswick 761,100	6,355	835	731	11.5%
2^nd	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	16,985	1,662	1,737	10.2%
3^rd	Alberta 2,841,300	38,906	1,369	3,701	9.5%
4^th	Newfoundland 562,000	4,723	840	430	9.1%
5^th	Prince Edward Island 137,100	1,638	1,195	141	8.6%
6^th	Ontario 11,421,600	112,022	981	8,943	8.0%
7^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	12,788	1,351	988	7.7%
8^th	Manitoba 1,142,200	21,879	1,916	1,643	7.5%
	CANADA 30,285,800	341,687	1,128	25,255	Canadian average 7.4%
9^th	Quebec 7,431,000	58,700	790	3,813	6.5%
10^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	63,295	1,614	2,724	4.3% *

In British Columbia there were 60,571 reported Mischief incidents without criminal charges.

Prime Time Crime current headlines

The Best Place on Earth Page 23