Data shows violent crime up since 2015. Police say it’s not the full story

Newly released information connected nan emergence of violent crime crossed Canada only tells portion of nan story, a nationalist constabulary statement says.

The measurement and severity of police-reported crime has been connected “an upward inclination that began successful 2015,” Statistics Canada said successful a study released past week.

The convulsive crime severity scale “remained virtually unchanged” past year, nan statistic agency said, because location was a diminution successful much superior crimes specified arsenic homicide. However, location was astir a 7 per cent summation successful convulsive crimes specified arsenic assault, robbery and extortion, Statistics Canada said.

But nan National Police Federation (NPF), nan national representing astir 20,000 RCMP members, says nan information whitethorn not afloat bespeak nan existent image of crime rates crossed nan state — thing Statistics Canada itself besides notes.

“One firearm robbery successful a mini municipality in, say, Saskatchewan skews nan information pinch respect to convulsive crime successful Saskatchewan arsenic a whole,” NPF president and CEO Brian Sauvé told Global News successful an interview.

“Saskatchewan has a batch of mini towns. But does that make Saskatchewan a peculiarly convulsive province?”

The wide crime severity scale was up 2 per cent successful 2023, nan Statistics Canada study shows, marking a 3rd consecutive yearly increase.

The non-violent crime severity scale roseate 3 per cent past year, aft a 5 per cent summation nan twelvemonth before. The astir caller raise was driven by a 5 per cent bump successful police-reported centrifugal conveyance theft — a taxable of increasing interest and attraction complete nan past twelvemonth — and double-digit spikes successful fraud and shoplifting.

When it comes to convulsive crime, nan severity scale accrued 32 per cent since 2015, which nan Conservatives stress was erstwhile nan existent Liberal authorities was first elected.

The caller information besides appears to backmost up different Conservative talking point: that full convulsive Criminal Code violations reported to constabulary person accrued astir 50 per cent since 2015.

“Total convulsive Criminal Code violations” is an umbrella term that includes homicides, attempted murder, assaults including intersexual assault, robberies and kidnappings.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre connected Thursday blamed nan increases successful crime connected existent authorities policies, blaming some nan governing Liberals and nan NDP, who person supported nan Liberals successful cardinal assurance votes for nan past 2 years.

Sauvé says he’s heard “frustration” from RCMP members of nan NPF that they are being progressively called connected to woody pinch not conscionable crime, but besides increasing intelligence wellness incidents and supplier overdoses.

He said each levels of authorities are to blasted for reductions successful supports and nan deficiency of “robust nationalist information continuum plans” to guarantee group aren’t resorting to crime aliases violence.

“There’s a increasing desperation among group … wherever they whitethorn not beryllium capable to meet their rent for nan period and consciousness they person nary prime but to edifice to thing drastic,” he said.

“The existent mobility isn’t ‘why is location much crime’ but ‘why are group much dissatisfied pinch their batch successful life?'”

Several caller surveys have suggested Canadians are increasing progressively concerned astir their individual finances amid nan rising costs of living, including precocious ostentation and liking rates.

Poilievre connected Thursday besides pointed to the caller sidesplitting of 17-year-old Breanna Broadfoot, 17, who constabulary opportunity was a unfortunate of friendly partner violence. The Conservative leader said nan fishy had antecedently been arrested, but was released earlier nan fatal onslaught connected Broadfoot.

“She is conscionable nan latest unfortunate of nan radical, Liberal-NDP wacko catch-and-release justness system,” Poilievre said astatine a news convention successful beforehand of a schoolhouse playground.

“It allows nan aforesaid repetition convulsive offenders to spell free again and again.”

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Last year, nan Liberal authorities collaborated pinch each provinces and territories to make changes to nan bail system, pursuing increasing calls from premiers and provincial and territorial justness ministers for strengthened laws aft reports of crimes committed by chronic reoffenders.

The caller changes require defendants who person been arrested and charged pinch definite offences to beryllium to nan tribunal why they should beryllium released, alternatively of nan Crown having to beryllium why they should enactment down bars.

A week ago, premiers wrote a missive to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling for different reappraisal of nan bail system, successful ray of different caller stabbing decease of a female past period successful British Columbia.

Tori Dunn, 30, was killed successful her location successful Surrey, B.C., successful June. The fishy had a agelong and convulsive criminal history and had been released conscionable weeks earlier she was killed.

“Last year’s amendments to national bail authorities correspond valuable progress, but caller troubling incidents propose this authorities whitethorn not beryllium functioning arsenic intended,” nan premiers said successful a associated connection aft gathering successful Halifax.

Justice Minister Arif Virani offered condolences to Broadfoot’s family connected Thursday “for nan heartbreaking calamity that should person ne'er happened,” but put nan blasted connected nan provinces.

“We’ve acted connected nan provinces’ calls for stronger Criminal Code measures. Now it’s clip for them to enforce nan rule effectively,” Virani said successful a connection pinch Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc Thursday.

Sauvé said nan NPF has besides called connected nan provinces and territories to do their portion successful boosting tribunal and corrections services successful their jurisdictions successful bid to decently instrumentality nan “second half of nan equation” of bail betterment — nan first half being nan national changes.

Poilievre has promised if he becomes premier curate he will forestall repetition convulsive offenders from being eligible for bail, location arrest, probation aliases parole. He besides pledges to extremity nan travel of federally regulated drugs, commonly referred to arsenic safer supply, and adjacent supervised depletion sites adjacent schools, redirecting national costs for those services toward curen and betterment services.

The New Democrats contradict having immoderate portion successful contributing to nan accrued crime complaint because they are not successful government.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has said bail betterment cannot beryllium nan only solution to support communities safe. New Democrats person called for amended supervision of group who are released connected bail, and stronger support for group experiencing intelligence wellness and addiction.

—With files from nan Canadian Press