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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 ARSON (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 10^th place among 10 provinces

3.4% charge rate

3,260 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (8.7%)

2002 10^th place among 10 provinces

4.4% charge rate

3,138 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (9.3%)

2001 10^th place among 10 provinces

5.0% charge rate

3,127 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (9.6%)

2000 10^th place among 10 provinces

5.0% charge rate

2,768 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (10.2%)

1999 10^th place among 10 provinces

4.7% charge rate

2,374 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (10.8%)

1998 10^th place among 10 provinces

4.7% charge rate

2,586 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (9.6%)

1997 10^th place among 10 provinces

7.0% charge rate

2,367 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (10.9%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) ARSON

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	42	30	8	19.0%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,162,776	959	82	152	15.8%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 994,843	545	55	79	14.5%
4^th	Alberta 3,153,723	1,211	38	132	10.9%
5^th	Ontario 12,238,300	3,022	25	327	10.8%
6^th	Newfoundland 519,570	157	30	16	10.2%
7^th	New Brunswick 750,594	418	56	42	10.0%
8^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	403	43	35	8.7%
	CANADA 31,629,677	13,851	44	1,207	Canadian average 8.7%
9^th	Quebec 7,487,169	3,622	48	288	8.0%
10^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	3,373	81	113	3.4% *

*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 3,260 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) ARSON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Alberta 3,113,586	1,143	37	178	15.6%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,150,848	815	71	120	14.7%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	369	36	52	14.1%
4^th	New Brunswick 756,652	353	47	48	13.6%
5^th	Newfoundland 531,595	155	29	17	11.0%
6^th	Ontario 12,068,301	2,876	24	317	11.0%
7^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	406	43	41	10.1%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	42	30	4	9.5%
	CANADA 31,629,677	13,192	42	1,231	Canadian average 9.3%
9^th	Quebec 7,455,208	3,652	49	294	8.1%
10^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	3,282	79	144	4.4% *

In British Columbia there were 3,138 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) ARSON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Prince Edward Island 138,514	37	27	7	18.9%
2^nd	Nova Scotia 942,691	401	43	57	14.2%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	544	54	76	14.0%
4^th	Manitoba 1,150,034	767	67	106	13.8%
5^th	Ontario 11,874,436	3,278	28	422	12.9%
6^th	New Brunswick 757,077	423	56	52	12.3%
7^th	Newfoundland 533,761	172	32	20	11.6%
8^th	Alberta 3,064,249	1,304	43	131	10.0%
	CANADA 31,081,887	14,513	47	1,392	Canadian average 9.6%
9^th	Quebec 7,410,504	4,232	57	347	8.2%
10^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	3,291	80	164	5.0% *

In British Columbia there were 3,127 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) ARSON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,147,880	756	66	180	23.8%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 138,928	30	22	7	23.3%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	358	35	55	15.4%
4^th	Ontario 11,669,344	3,380	29	507	15.0%
5^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	361	38	49	13.6%
6^th	New Brunswick 756,598	392	52	53	13.5%
7^th	Newfoundland 538,823	128	24	17	13.3%
8^th	Alberta 2,997,236	1,010	34	120	11.9%
	CANADA 30,750,087	13,724	45	1,394	Canadian average 10.2%
9^th	Quebec 7,372,448	4,331	59	258	6.0%
10^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	2,913	72	145	5.0% *

In British Columbia there were 2,768 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) ARSON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,143,509	762	67	241	31.6%
2^nd	Newfoundland 541,000	142	26	22	15.5%
3^rd	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	451	44	69	15.3%
4^th	Ontario 11,513,808	3,240	28	466	14.4%
5^th	Alberta 2,964,689	946	32	115	12.2%
6^th	Prince Edward Island 137,980	18	13	2	11.1%
	CANADA 30,491,294	12,763	42	1,382	Canadian average 10.8%
7^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	389	41	31	8.0%
8^th	New Brunswick 754,969	445	59	35	7.9%
9^th	Quebec 7,345,390	3,791	52	279	7.4%
10^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	2,490	62	116	4.7% *

In British Columbia there were 2,374 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) ARSON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,138,872	669	59	124	18.5%
2^nd	Newfoundland 544,400	135	25	23	17.0%
3^rd	Alberta 2,914,918	1,023	35	159	15.5%
4^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	422	45	62	14.7%
5^th	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	343	33	43	12.5%
6^th	Ontario 11,411,547	3,427	30	356	10.4%
	CANADA 30,300,422	12,952	43	1,247	Canadian average 9.6%
7^th	New Brunswick 752,999	301	40	26	8.6%
8^th	Quebec 7,333,283	3,806	52	318	8.4%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 136,388	30	22	2	6.7%
10^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	2,713	68	127	4.7% *

In British Columbia there were 2,586 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) ARSON

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	372	36	88	23.7%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,142,200	387	34	69	17.8%
3^rd	Newfoundland 562,000	132	23	20	15.2%
4^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	387	41	58	15.0%
5^th	Alberta 2,841,300	1,036	36	142	13.7%
6^th	Ontario 11,421,600	3,593	31	437	12.2%
	CANADA 30,285,800	12,799	42	1,396	Canadian average 10.9%
7^th	New Brunswick 761,100	329	43	32	9.7%
8^th	Quebec 7,431,000	3,918	53	358	9.1%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 137,100	25	18	2	8.0%
10^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	2,545	65	178	7.0% *

In British Columbia there were 2,367 reported Arson incidents without criminal charges.

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