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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 IMPAIRED DRIVING (1997-2003) British Columbia

Source: Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-205

2003 9^thplace among 10 provinces

65.5% charge rate

4,040 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (84.5%)

2002 10^th place among 10 provinces

64.0% charge rate

4,027 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (82.8%)

2001 10^th place among 10 provinces

59.8% charge rate

4,924 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (79.5%)

2000 9^th place among 10 provinces

68.8% charge rate

3,254 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (83.3%)

1999 6^th place among 10 provinces

78.3% charge rate

2,147 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (87.7%)

1998 5^th place among 10 provinces

85.6% charge rate

1,441 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (89.2%)

1997 4^th place among 10 provinces

88.2% charge rate

1,218 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges

BELOW Canadian average (89.8%)

Solving Crime in Canada (2003) IMPAIRED DRIVING

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	Ontario 12,238,300	19,056	156	18,050	94.7%
2^nd	Quebec 7,487,169	18,373	245	17,317	94.2%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,162,776	3,001	258	2,671	89%
	CANADA 31,629,677	77,038	244	65,083	Canadian average 84.5%
4^th	Nova Scotia 936,025	2,447	261	1,996	81.6%
5^th	Saskatchewan 994,843	5,508	554	4,493	81.5%
6^th	New Brunswick 750,594	2,104	280	1,714	81.5%
7^th	Newfoundland 519,570	950	183	751	79%
8^th	Alberta 3,153,723	12,310	390	9,509	77.2%
9^th	British Columbia 4,146,580	11,719	283	7,679	65.5%
10^th	Prince Edward Island 137,781	607	441	381	62.8%

*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 4,040 Impaired Driving incidents in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2002) IMPAIRED DRIVING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 12,068,301	20,586	171	19,541	94.9%
2^nd	New Brunswick 756,652	2,123	281	1,877	88.4%
3^rd	Newfoundland 531,595	923	174	812	88.0%
4^th	Quebec 7,455,208	19,646	264	17,023	86.6%
5^th	Manitoba 1,150,848	3,242	282	2,686	82.8%
	CANADA 31,629,677	80,789	257	66,938	Canadian average 82.8%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,011,808	6,151	608	4,860	79.0%
7^th	Nova Scotia 944,765	2,458	260	1,919	78.1%
8^th	Alberta 3,113,586	13,035	419	10,129	77.7%
9^th	Prince Edward Island 139,913	555	397	396	71.3%
10^th	British Columbia 4,141,272	11,197	270	7,170	64.0%

Those responsible for 4,027 Impaired Driving incidents in British Columbia were never criminally charged.

Solving Crime in Canada (2001) IMPAIRED DRIVING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1st	Ontario 11,874,436	23,824	201	22,974	96.4%
2^nd	Quebec 7,410,504	19,453	263	17,304	89.0%
	CANADA 31,081,887	90,454	291	71,920	Canadian average 79.5%
3^rd	Manitoba 1,150,034	3,942	343	2,926	74.2%
4^th	Nova Scotia 942,691	2,694	286	1,962	72.8%
5^th	Saskatchewan 1,015,783	7,254	714	5,273	72.7%
6^th	Alberta 3,064,249	14,555	475	10,331	71.0%
7^th	Prince Edward Island 138,514	596	430	404	67.8%
8^th	New Brunswick 757,077	3,217	425	2,106	62.7%
9^th	Newfoundland 533,761	1,540	289	964	62.6%
10^th	British Columbia 4,095,934	12,253	299	7,329	59.8%

In British Columbia there were 4,924 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (2000) IMPAIRED DRIVING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,669,344	22,825	196	22,100	96.8%
2^nd	Prince Edward Island 138,928	555	399	506	91.2%
3^rd	Quebec 7,372,448	17,740	241	16,128	90.9%
	CANADA 30,750,087	83,939	273	69,899	Canadian average 83.3%
4^th	Alberta 2,997,236	12,688	423	10,015	78.9%
5^th	New Brunswick 756,598	3,130	414	2,366	75.6%
6^th	Manitoba 1,147,880	4,047	353	2,975	73.5%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,023,636	7,159	699	5,153	72.0%
8^th	Newfoundland 538,823	1,457	270	1,037	71.1%
9^th	British Columbia 4,063,760	10,434	257	7,180	68.8%
10^th	Nova Scotia 940,996	3,007	320	1,940	64.5%

In British Columbia there were 3,254 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1999) IMPAIRED DRIVING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,513,808	22,387	194	21,774	97.3%
2^nd	Quebec 7,345,390	19,594	267	18,423	94.0%
	CANADA 30,491,294	85,984	282	75,379	Canadian average 87.7%
3^rd	Alberta 2,964,689	12,274	414	10,632	86.6%
4^th	Nova Scotia 939,791	2,997	319	2,425	80.9%
5^th	Saskatchewan 1,027,780	8,014	780	6,292	78.5%
6^th	British Columbia 4,023,100	9,900	246	7,753	78.3% *
7^th	New Brunswick 754,969	3,462	459	2,660	76.8%
8^th	Prince Edward Island 137,980	589	427	449	76.2%
9^th	Newfoundland 541,000	1,411	261	1,056	74.8%
10^th	Manitoba 1,143,509	4,545	397	3,382	74.4%

In British Columbia there were 2,147 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1998) IMPAIRED DRIVING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,411,547	21,637	190	20,940	96.8%
2^nd	Alberta 2,914,918	12,541	430	11,683	93.2%
3^rd	Quebec 7,333,283	20,072	274	18,365	91.5%
	CANADA 30,300,422	87,385	288	77,965	Canadian average 89.2%
4^th	Prince Edward Island 136,388	500	367	439	87.8%
5^th	British Columbia 4,009,922	10,041	250	8,600	85.6% *
6^th	Nova Scotia 934,587	2,892	309	2,413	83.4%
7^th	Saskatchewan 1,024,387	9,495	927	7,755	81.7%
8^th	New Brunswick 752,999	3,197	425	2,532	79.2%
9^th	Newfoundland 544,400	1,374	252	1,049	76.3%
10^th	Manitoba 1,138,872	4,671	410	3,515	75.3%

In British Columbia there were 1,441 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges.

Solving Crime in Canada (1997) IMPAIRED DRIVING

PROVINCE

(population)

Incidents reported

CRIME

RATE

CLEARED

BY CHARGE

% of reported incidents

cleared by charge

1^st	Ontario 11,421,600	22,348	196	21,736	97.3%
2^nd	Quebec 7,431,000	20,310	273	18,614	91.6%
3^rd	Alberta 2,841,300	13,803	486	12,458	90.3%
	CANADA 30,285,800	90,099	297	80,898	Canadian average 89.8%
4^th	British Columbia 3,921,500	10,310	263	9,092	88.2%
5^th	Nova Scotia 946,800	2,692	284	2,362	87.7%
6^th	Saskatchewan 1,021,700	9,809	960	8,076	82.3%
7^th	Prince Edward Island 137,100	641	468	526	82.0%
8^th	New Brunswick 761,100	3,354	441	2,722	81.2%
9^th	Newfoundland 562,000	1,403	250	1,121	80.0%
10^th	Manitoba 1,142,200	4,470	391	2,478	77.8%

In British Columbia there were 1,218 reported Impaired Driving incidents without criminal charges.

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