Wednesday, July 22, 1998
For release at 8:30 a.m.
1997
The crime rate fell for the sixth consecutive year in 1997. The 5% drop resulted in the lowest police-reported crime rate since 1980. Most crimes declined in 1997, including homicide, attempted murder, robbery, break-ins, motor vehicle theft, and impaired driving.
Since peaking in 1991, the national crime rate has declined 19%. However, the crime rate is still more than double what it was three decades ago.
Most provinces followed the national trend, with decreases ranging from 2% in Nova Scotia to 10% in Prince Edward Island. Only Saskatchewan (+4%) and Alberta (+2%) reported increases in their crime rate.
Chart: Crime rate, 1962 to 1997
The rate for violent crimes (the most serious offences) was down 1.1% in 1997 - the fifth consecutive yearly decline. Police reported almost 300,000 incidents of violent crime in 1997. However, not all regions of Canada registered lower violent crime rates, with the Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan (+15%), Alberta (+6%) and Manitoba (+2%) reporting increases.
The homicide rate, which includes first- and second-degree murder, manslaughter and infanticide, dropped 9% in 1997 - its lowest point since 1969. The homicide rate has generally been declining since the mid-1970s. The 581 homicides reported in 1997 were 54 fewer than the year before.
After 1996 crime statistics were released last year, errors were identified in the 1995 and 1996 data for Winnipeg police, and 1996 data from Metro Toronto Police. These errors resulted in an undercounting of crime for these municipalities during those years. The errors have been corrected and the analysis is based on the revised numbers. Consult Juristat for more details.
The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) collects Criminal Code statistics from police according to a nationally-approved set of rules and definitions. However, many factors could influence official crime statistics. These include reporting by the public to the police; reporting by police to the CCJS; and the impact of new initiatives such as changes in legislation, policies or enforcement practices.
It can be argued that official crime statistics merely reflect the willingness of Canadians to report criminal activity to police. However, there is other evidence of declining crime rates. Results from the 1995 International Criminal Victimization Survey mirror trends in police-reported data. The Canadian component showed that victimization rates fell 11% between 1991 and 1995, similar to the 14% decline in the crime rate reported by police during the same period.
Further, recent declines in crime have applied as equally to more serious crimes (those which are less prone to non-reporting by the public) as to less serious crimes.
Other countries have also experienced recent declines in their crime rate. For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that the U.S. indexed crime rate declined 4% in 1997. Violent crime fell 5% and property crime 4%. Crime rates have also declined steadily in England and Wales.
As in previous years, the large majority of homicide victims knew their killers. Strangers were responsible for only 13% of homicides. In 1997, there were 75 spousal homicides, down from 80 the year before. Eight in ten victims of spousal homicide were women who were killed by a current or ex-husband.
Chart: Homicide rate, 1961 to 1997
Despite an 8% decline last year, the robbery rate has generally been increasing during the past decade. Compared with other forms of violent crime, robbery is more likely to involve young people. In 1997, almost 40% of persons charged with robbery were youths, compared with 15% for all other violent crimes.
The rate of sexual assaults declined for the fourth straight year, down 0.9% from 1996. Of the 27,063 incidents of sexual assault reported by police in 1997, the majority (97%) were classified as level 1, the category of least physical injury to the victim.
There were 193 homicides with firearms in 1997, 19 fewer than in 1996. Despite this drop, firearms continue to be used in about one-third of all homicides.
The rate of firearm robberies has generally been falling since 1991 - including a 20% drop in 1997. Robberies with other weapons, such as knives, have been increasing during this period. More than 4 in 10 robberies did not involve weapons.
Other firearm-related offences have also been falling in recent years. The rate of restricted weapons offences, including handguns, declined 34% over the last five years. The offence of discharging a firearm with intent also fell during this period (-46%).
The property crime rate fell 8% in 1997, continuing the general decline since 1991. All provinces reported a drop in property crime rates, ranging from 1% in Alberta to 11% in Ontario. There were about 1.5 million criminal incidents involving property in 1997.
Police reported 373,355 break-ins, which represented about one-quarter of all property crimes. Six out of every ten break-ins occurred at a private residence. After two years of growth, residential break-ins dropped 5% in 1997. Business break-ins fell 10%.
After growing steadily for more than a decade, the rate of motor vehicle theft declined 3% in 1997. However, the rate remains almost 80% higher than a decade earlier. Police reported 177,286 incidents of motor vehicle theft in 1997, an average of about 485 each day.
The overall rate of youths charged with Criminal Code offences dropped 7% in 1997. In total, 111,736 people aged 12 to 17 years were charged in 1997. More than half of these youths were charged with property crimes, while 20% were charged with violent crimes.
The rate of youths charged with violent crime fell 2% - the second consecutive yearly decline. Despite these declines, the rate is still more than double that of a decade ago.
In recent years, concern has grown about increasing violence by young women. Over the past decade, the rate of female youths charged with violent crimes has increased twice as fast as for male youths. In 1997, the rate of violent crime dropped 4% among male youths while it increased 5% among female youths. However, the rate for female youths was still only one-third the rate for their male counterparts.
A total of 54 youths aged 12 to 17 were charged with homicide in 1997, five more than the previous year. Over the last decade, an average of 49 youths were charged with homicide each year.
With respect to property crime, the rate of youths charged declined 12% from 1996 - the sixth consecutive yearly decline.
Rates of violent crime declined in 16 of 25 census metropolitan areas (CMAs) in 1997. Rates were lowest in Sherbrooke and Trois-Rivières, and highest in Thunder Bay and Regina. Regina also reported the largest increase in violent crime at 29%.
Homicide rates fell in 14 CMAs. Rates were highest in Saskatoon, Halifax and Edmonton, and lowest in Chicoutimi-Jonquière, Kitchener and London.
Only three CMAs reported increases in property crime: Chicoutimi-Jonquière, Halifax and Trois-Rivières. Property crime rates were highest in Regina and Vancouver and lowest in Saint John and Québec.
Available on CANSIM: 2198-2200 and tables 001401103 and 00150202.
Juristat: Canadian crime statistics, 1997, Vol. 18, no. 11 (85-002-XPE, $10/93; Internet version: 85-002-XIE, $8/$70) is now available. See How to order publications.
For further information on this release, contact Information and Client Services (613-951-9023 or 1 800 387-2231) or Shelly Crego (951-6750), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.
Table: Police-reported incidents by most serious offence
______________________________________________________________________________
1997 1996 to 1997
______________________________________________________________________________
Number Rate(1) % change in
rate
Violent crime 296,737 980 -1.1
Homicide 581 2 -9.5
Attempted murder 861 3 -3.0
Assaults (levels 1, 2,
3) 222,210 734 --
Other assaults 11,778 39 -4.3
Sexual assaults
(levels 1, 2, 3) 27,063 89 -0.9
Other sexual offences 3,672 12 8.7
Robbery 29,590 98 -7.9
Abduction 982 3 -0.6
Property crime 1,458,930 4,817 -7.6
Break and enter 373,355 1,233 -7.0
Motor vehicle theft 177,286 585 -2.6
Theft over $5,000 24,026 79 -12.2
Theft $5,000 and under 758,025 2,503 -9.0
Possession of stolen
goods 29,544 98 -8.0
Fraud 96,694 319 -6.3
Other Criminal Code 774,687 2,558 -2.5
Arson 12,799 42 -1.3
Offensive weapons 16,079 53 -3.0
Prostitution 5,812 19 -10.1
Mischief 341,687 1,128 -7.6
Bail violation 68,920 228 -1.1
Disturbing the peace 57,594 190 4.4
Other 271,796 897 2.9
Crime rate (Total
Criminal Code,
excluding traffic
offences) 2,530,354 8,355 -5.4
______________________________________________________________________________
(--) Amount too small to be expressed.
(1) Rates are calculated based on 100,000 population.
Table: Crime rates for Census Metropolitan Areas(1)
______________________________________________________________________________
Violent crime Property
crime
_______________________ ______________________________ _____________
1997 1996 to1997 1997
______________________________________________________________________________
rate % change in rate
rate
Regina 1,638 29.1 9,129
Vancouver 1,258 -4.7 9,080
Saskatoon 1,397 6.6 6,940
Victoria 1,385 1.7 6,213
Thunder Bay 1,810 -6.0 5,493
Winnipeg(2) 1,456 -1.6 5,972
Halifax 1,126 -3.7 5,597
Edmonton 960 4.0 5,198
London 809 -9.3 5,408
Windsor 812 -7.0 4,575
Ottawa-Hull (Ontario
part) 861 -5.9 5,030
Calgary 833 8.0 5,221
Hamilton 1,122 -1.8 4,406
St. Catharines-Niagara 663 0.6 4,551
Montréal 782 -7.0 5,126
Sudbury 890 -4.4 4,595
Ottawa-Hull (Québec
part) 728 1.4 4,348
St. John's 1,018 -1.2 4,063
Saint John 1,092 10.1 3,619
Trois-Rivières 488 -4.4 4,338
Toronto(2) 852 -1.4 3,932
Kitchener 730 1.0 4,076
Chicoutimi-Jonquière 570 -13.9 4,304
Sherbrooke 410 -1.3 3,949
Québec 504 -6.1 3,765
______________________________________________________________________________
Property Total Criminal Code
crime
_______________________ _____________ ______________________________
1996 to1997 1997 1996 to1997
______________________________________________________________________________
% change in rate % change in
rate rate
Regina -9.5 14,500 -3.9
Vancouver -13.1 13,029 -12.0
Saskatoon -0.1 12,126 3.5
Victoria -10.0 11,434 -5.4
Thunder Bay -4.0 11,259 -6.0
Winnipeg(2) -9.0 10,281 -5.9
Halifax 1.6 9,388 -1.5
Edmonton -0.5 8,836 2.3
London -9.8 8,652 -10.3
Windsor -11.2 8,116 -7.5
Ottawa-Hull (Ontario
part) -15.8 8,023 -15.1
Calgary -3.3 7,796 -0.9
Hamilton -8.6 7,608 -6.2
St. Catharines-Niagara -9.7 7,559 -4.7
Montréal -4.3 7,531 -5.8
Sudbury -11.2 7,505 -9.6
Ottawa-Hull (Québec
part) -8.7 7,216 -8.2
St. John's -1.9 7,077 -4.6
Saint John -17.5 6,980 -12.6
Trois-Rivières 1.2 6,662 1.7
Toronto(2) -9.1 6,549 -7.6
Kitchener -9.6 6,458 -7.6
Chicoutimi-Jonquière 9.8 6,323 5.3
Sherbrooke -8.8 5,853 -7.4
Québec -14.2 5,664 -11.5
______________________________________________________________________________
(1) Rates are calculated per 100,000 population. The Oshawa Census
Metropolitain Area (CMA) is excluded from this table due to
methodological concerns with the matching of the police agency
jurisdictional boundaries and the CMA boundaries.
(2) Toronto and Winnipeg data for 1996 have been revised.