Sask. Sees Decrease in Crime Severity Index While Canada's Increases

Crime is on the rise in Canada, but Saskatchewan isn't following that trend.

Police-reported crime in Canada, as measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI), increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2018. The CSI increased by just over one per cent from 73.6 in 2017 to 75.0 in 2018.

This year's CSI is the highest it's been since 2012 when it was 75.5. Despite the increase, the index is 17 per cent lower in 2018 than it was a decade ago in 2008.

The change in the CSI in 2018 was the result of increases in fraud (up 13 per cent), sexual assault level 1 (up 15 per cent), as well as shoplifting of $5,000 or under (up 14 per cent), and theft over $5,000 (up 15 per cent).

Saskatchewan, despite having its two major cities sitting number two and four, saw a decrease of its CSI by 3 per cent.

Regina had the second-highest CSI in the country behind only Lethbridge. Saskatoon's CSI number did not change year-to-year but dropped down to number four. Saskatoon and Regina were first and third in the 2017 crime severity report.

Saskatchewan was just one of four provinces and territories not to see an increase, joined by Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Yukon. Alberta and British Columbia experienced essentially no change in their CSIs.

In Saskatchewan, decreases in several offences had an impact on the change in the CSI. An 82 per cent decrease in the rate of “other federal statute” violations was the most significant factor.

The decrease in “other federal statute” violations was mainly due to a change in the classification of some incidents involving alcohol consumption on a dry reserve. These incidents were previously reported by some police services as violations under the Indian Act and included under “other federal statute” violations.

In October 2017, these detachments were advised that the federal prosecutors would no longer prosecute Indigenous community bylaw infractions under the Indian Act. These detachments started reporting these types of offences as mischief or disturbing the peace under the Criminal Code, which has a lower weight in the CSI than offences under the Indian Act. Also, a 5 per cent decline in violations related to the administration of justice also had an impact on the decline in the CSI in Saskatchewan.

Statistics Canada cautioned that the 2018 figures only involved incidents that came to the attention of police, while many crimes go unreported.

Police-reported crime for selected drug offences, by province or territory, 2018: