Kelowna has yet again gained the dubious distinction of ranking in the Top 10 of Statistics Canada香蕉视频直播檚 crime severity index (CSI).
The showed Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 CSI to be fifth highest in Canada, at 100.3. In 2015, the CSI was 98, but the city ranked fourth in the country香蕉视频直播攖hat was due in large part to crime surging in other cities.
While the annual report casts the city in a negative light, Mayor Colin Basran said that it香蕉视频直播檚 still a safe place to call home.
香蕉视频直播淚 believe Kelowna is a safe community, but it香蕉视频直播檚 not without its issues,香蕉视频直播� Basran said. 香蕉视频直播淲e know that the increased presence of people on our streets and the continued fentanyl crisis are certainly raising the concern of residents, so we want to continue to do what we can as a city to help address those issues.香蕉视频直播�
From a city perspective that means finding the people who are committing the crimes the help they need, whether through the legal system, addiction and mental health services or the homelessness strategy.
The CSI is calculated by Statistics Canada assigning each violation a weight based on the violation香蕉视频直播檚 incarceration rate, as well as the average length of prison sentence handed down by criminal courts.
The more serious the average sentence, the higher the weight. To calculate the CSI, the weighted offences are added up and divided by the population. The CSI is standardized to 100 for the study香蕉视频直播檚 base year of 2006.
CSI differs from crime rate in that crime rate is simply the number of offences compared to the population and that香蕉视频直播檚 not an area Kelowna does well in either.
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This city香蕉视频直播檚 crime rate is among the highest in Canada, with a reported 8,445 Criminal Code offences per 100,000 people in 2016. Compare that to the national average of 5,224 and the provincial average of 7,738.
Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 top cop says while the numbers can be useful, he takes them with a grain of salt because this city has some unique issues, not the least of which being that tourism inflates the population by 1.6 million over the year.
When those visitors arrive, said Kelowna RCMP Supt. Brent Mundle, it puts pressure on resources and there is an uptick in everything from property crime to traffic violations. When they香蕉视频直播檙e then stacked up against the relatively small population that lives here year round, the statistics offer an unflattering view.
That said, he also sees the CSI offering some useful insights into the city.
香蕉视频直播淭here has been a reduction in violent crime and that香蕉视频直播檚 positive for the community,香蕉视频直播� said Mundle.
Mundle also said that higher numbers may reflect proactive police work.
香蕉视频直播淚f our officers are more actively out investigating and doing impaired stops that would drive our numbers there,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Another area where successful policing may skew stats, he said, is in the area of drug possession cases. There have been more cases of meth and cocaine possession in the year that香蕉视频直播檚 passed and Mundle said that shows their 香蕉视频直播渙fficers are actively out and finding people香蕉视频直播� that are carrying these substances.
There香蕉视频直播檚 no good way to view fraud and theft statistics.
香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e seen an increase of fraud related activities and, as I have been regularly reporting to the city, theft of vehicles and bicycles has been an increasing problem in the community and that has driven (an increase) in the numbers there,香蕉视频直播� said Mundle.
Mundle said he wants this report to remind people that they should lock up their bikes and their cars.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a significant issue, but it香蕉视频直播檚 preventable,香蕉视频直播� he said.
From 2015 to 2016, 20 of 33 of Canada香蕉视频直播檚 census metropolitan areas reported increases in their CSI. The largest increases were recorded in the CMAs of Winnipeg (+16 per cent), Regina (+15 per cent) and Brantford (+13 per cent). Winnipeg香蕉视频直播檚 increase was a result of more reported incidents of robbery and breaking and entering. A higher CSI in Regina was primarily due to more incidents of fraud and attempted murder. The CMAs with the largest declines in CSI were Trois-Rivi猫res (-14 per cent) and Victoria (-12 per cent).
As has been the case since 2010, Regina (125.8) and Saskatoon (117.8) were the CMAs with the highest CSIs. These Saskatchewan CMAs were followed in the CSI rankings in 2016 by Edmonton (105.7), Winnipeg (103.9), Kelowna (100.3), Vancouver (94.3) and Abbotsford香蕉视频直播揗ission (91.4). These seven CMAs also had the highest police-reported crime rates in 2016.
The CMAs with the lowest CSIs continued to be Qu茅bec (45.2), Barrie (45.4) and Toronto (47.5), followed by Trois-Rivi猫res (48.7).
