Alberta saw largest drop in crime severity in Canada in 2020, says StatCan report
Most provinces saw a drop in the crime severity index during the pandemic, with Alberta seeing one of the largest reductions in the country at 11 per cent, according to numbers released by Statistics Canada.
During the first year of the pandemic, the violent crime severity index dropped four per cent Canada-wide, while the non-violent crime severity index fell 10 per cent.
Calgary saw a 17 per cent drop in its crime severity index, which was the second largest in the country, behind Regina, Sask. (-20 per cent).
Ottawa (-16 per cent), Barrie, Ont. (-15 per cent), and Toronto (-15 per cent) round out the top five municipal drops.
Some cities saw their crime severity index go the other way. Peterborough, Ont., saw a 14 per cent increase, followed by Greater Sudbury, Ont. (7 per cent), Kingston, Ont. (four per cent), Victoria (three per cent) and Halifax, N.S. (two per cent).
The drop is largely the result of health restrictions forcing people to stay home more, said Deputy Chief Chad Tawfik with the Calgary Police Service.
"You certainly saw that across the country with the pandemic and related restrictions that were put in place," he said. "Most notably, we saw the biggest impacts over the first three months of 2020 ... driven by a decrease in property crimes, robberies and reported sexual assaults."
Looking at different types of offence, shoplifting under $5,000 (-36 per cent) and theft under $5,000 (-20 per cent) had the biggest reductions, along with robbery (-18 per cent), break and entering (-16 per cent) and sexual assault (-9 per cent).
The number of police-reported hate crimes increased 37 per cent to 2,669.
"Hate crimes targeting the Black population, East or Southeast Asian population, Indigenous population, and South Asian population accounted for most of the national change," read a release from StatCan.
There were 743 homicide victims in Canada in 2020, which was 56 more than in 2019.
Police do expect the crime severity inex to go back up now that restrictions are loosening, said Tawfik.
"We're anticipating a bit of a rebound in that regard, as far as activity, and that can be driven by a lot of factors, not just things opening up, but also economic conditions and other things. We are certainly watching that and tracking that."
CSI changes by province:
- Alberta (-11 per cent);
- Prince Edward Island (-11 per cent);
- Manitoba (-10 per cent);
- Ontario (-9 per cent);
- B.C. (-8 per cent);
- Quebec (-7 per cent);
- Saskatchewan (-6 per cent);
- Newfoundland and Labrador (-4 per cent);
- Nunavut (-1 per cent);
- Yukon (one per cent);
- New Brunswick (three per cent);
- Northwest Territories (six per cent), and;
- Nova Scotia (eight per cent).
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.