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
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.