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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 KIDNAPPING (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 7^thplace among 10 provinces

69.5% charge rate

73 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (76.4%)

2002 8^th place among 10 provinces

64.0% charge rate

80 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (73.8%)

2001 8^th place among 10 provinces

58.4% charge rate

82 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (67.7%)

2000 9^th place among 10 provinces

55.6% charge rate

89 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (72.0%)

1999 10^th place among 10 provinces

52.5% charge rate

75 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (65.9%)

1998 8^th place among 10 provinces

56.1% charge rate

79 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (64.8%)

1997 8^th place among 10 provinces

56.5% charge rate

67 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (66.2%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) KIDNAPPING

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	New Brunswick 750,594	29	4	39	134%
2^nd	Nova Scotia 936,025	45	5	43	95.6%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,162,776	106	9	97	91.5%
4^th	Alberta 3,153,723	342	11	310	90.6%
5^th	Saskatchewan 994,843	112	11	98	87.5%
6^th	Ontario 12,238,300	1,193	10	1,013	84.9%
	CANADA 31,629,677	3,184	10	2,434	Canadian average 76.4%
7^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	239	6	166	69.5% *
8^th	Newfoundland 519,570	25	5	16	64%
9^th	Quebec 7,487,169	1,068	14	628	58.8%
10^th	Prince Edward Island 137,781	0	0	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

In British Columbia there were 73 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) KIDNAPPING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Newfoundland 531,595	17	3	15	88.2%
2^nd	Ontario 12,068,301	1,065	9	919	86.3%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,150,848	111	10	95	85.6%
4^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	30	3	25	83.3%
5^th	Alberta 3,113,586	327	11	266	81.3%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	94	9	73	77.7%
	CANADA 31,629,677	2,933	9	2,166	Canadian average 73.8%
^th	New Brunswick 756,652	18	2	12	66.7%
8^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	222	5	142	64.0% *
9^th	Quebec 7,455,208	1,040	14	607	58.4%
10^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	0	0	3	-

In British Columbia there were 80 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) KIDNAPPING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,150,034	89	8	79	88.8%
2^nd	Newfoundland 533,761	18	3	15	83.3%
3^rd	Ontario 11,874,436	896	8	712	79.5%
4^th	Alberta 3,064,249	302	10	240	79.5%
5^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	24	3	18	75%
6^TH	New Brunswick 757,077	12	2	9	75%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	75	7	55	73.3%
	CANADA 31,081,887	2,526	8	1,711	Canadian average 67.7%
8^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	197	5	115	58.4% *
9^th	Quebec 7,410,504	904	12	464	51.3%
10^th	Prince Edward Island 138,514	4	3	2	50%

In British Columbia there were 82 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) KIDNAPPING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Nova Scotia 940,996	31	3	18	85.7%
2^nd	Manitoba 1,147,880	74	6	69	93.2%
3^rd	Alberta 2,997,236	264	9	235	89.0%
4^th	New Brunswick 756,598	21	3	18	85.7%
5^th	Ontario 11,669,344	744	6	616	82.8%
6^th	Newfoundland 538,823	11	2	9	81.8%
	CANADA 30,750,087	2,170	7	1,562	Canadian average 72.0%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	64	6	46	71.9%
8^th	Quebec 7,372,448	755	10	423	56.0%
9^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	202	5	113	55.9% *
	Prince Edward Island 138,928	-	-	-	-

In British Columbia there 89 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) KIDNAPPING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Manitoba 1,143,509	20	2	20	100%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 137,980	1	1	1	100%
3^rd	Newfoundland 541,000	10	2	9	90%
4^th	Ontario 11,513,808	626	5	501	80.0%
5^th	Alberta 2,964,689	232	8	181	78.0%
6^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	29	3	22	75.9%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	63	6	45	71.4%
8^th	New Brunswick 754,969	18	2	12	66.7%
	CANADA 30,491,294	2,011	7	1,325	Canadian average 65.9%
9^th	Quebec 7,345,390	849	12	449	52.9%
10^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	158	4	83	52.5% *

In British Columbia there were 75 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) KIDNAPPING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Nova Scotia 934,587	11	1	9	81.8%
2^nd	Newfoundland 544,400	10	2	8	80%
3^rd	Alberta 2,914,918	191	7	152	79.6%
4^th	Ontario 11,411,547	616	5	476	77.3%
5^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	43	4	30	69.8%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	74	7	48	64.9%
	CANADA 30,300,422	1,901	6	1,232	Canadian average 64.8%
7^th	New Brunswick 752,999	12	2	7	58.3%
8^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	180	4	101	56.1% *
9^th	Quebec 7,333,283	759	10	399	52.6%
	Prince Edward Island 136,388	1	1	-	-

In British Columbia there were 79 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) KIDNAPPING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Nova Scotia 946,800	11	1	12	109%
2^nd	Newfoundland 562,000	5	1	4	80%
3^rd	Alberta 2,841,300	172	6	133	77.3%
4^th	Ontario 11,421,600	573	5	443	77.3%
5^th	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	116	11	85	73.3%
	CANADA 30,285,800	1,880	6	1,245	Canadian average 66.2%
6^th	Manitoba 1,142,200	12	1	7	58.3%
7^th	Quebec 7,431,000	823	1	465	56.5%
8^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	154	4	87	56.5%
9^th	New Brunswick 761,100	13	2	6	46.2%
	Prince Edward Island 137,100	-	-	-	-

In British Columbia there were 67 reported Kidnapping incidents without criminal charges.

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