Victoria's crime severity index highest out of all B.C. municipal police agencies in 2020: StatCan
Victoria's crime severity index (CSI) score was the highest out of all municipal police agencies in B.C. in 2020, according to newly released data from Statistics Canada.
The CSI is calculated based on the number of police calls in a community and the severity of each reported crime.
On Tuesday, Statistics Canada released its crime severity index, which placed Victoria's CSI at 168 points. It is the highest score out of B.C.'s 13 municipal police agencies and well above the provincial average score of 96.
"The newly released Statistics Canada data reflects a severity of crime in the City of Victoria that is unacceptable," said Victoria Police Chief Del Manak in a statement Tuesday.
"Our department is committed to doing everything we can to reduce Victoria’s crime severity index, and I look forward to working with our partners in the region to achieve this goal," he said.
Manak added that despite the rise on the index, he was "proud of the work of our officers who continue to respond to a number of high-priority, resource-intensive calls on a daily basis with an unwavering dedication to public safety."
July 27, 2021 (Victoria Police)
(Victoria Police)
CSI INCREASE BY CENSUS METROPOLITAN AREAS
On Tuesday, Statistics Canada also released its measurement of CSI per census metropolitan areas (CMA). Census metropolitan areas cover a broader geographic range. In Victoria's case, the Victoria CMA includes all municipalities in the Capital Regional District.
The Victoria census metropolitan area CSI was calculated at 76 points this year, just above the national average of 73.4, according to Statistics Canada.
The total marks a three per cent increase compared to 2019, and marks the fourth largest increase out of all census metropolitan areas across the country.
According to Statistics Canada, most CMAs across Canada saw a decrease in their CSI during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was not true across the board.
The largest CSI increases per census metropolitan area were seen in three Ontario cities followed by Victoria in 2020, with a 14 per cent rise in Peterborough, a seven per cent rise in Greater Sudbury and a four per cent rise in Kingston.
CITY CSI COMPARED TO CENSUS METROPOLITAN AREA CSI
The Victoria Police Department says it believes the steep rise in the city's CSI compared to the census metropolitan area's CSI is due to a higher concentration of activity in the downtown core compared to other communities in the Capital Regional District.
The police department says it faces the brunt of the region's social disorder concerns compared to other CRD communities that are "primarily suburban municipalities."
"As the jurisdiction with the highest urban density in the region, the largest number of liquor seats, the significant majority of multi-unit residential temporary housing facilities, and being the provincial capital of B.C., Victoria is a unique, urban policing environment," said the police department.
VicPD says it continues to support amalgamation with other CRD police departments, a move that would better "unify" resources in the region, according to Victoria police.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6% in January as Quebec strikes end
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.