Kelowna’s Crime Severity Index declined on an annual basis

The Crime Rate is a measurement of offences in violation of the Criminal Code per 100,000 people.

In response to the falling figures, the City of Kelowna issued a statement from Mayor Tom Dyas that expressed pleasure with the declines, though added the city continues to evaluate and measure safety and crime in the community.

“While we are pleased to see the data reflect the positive trends we are starting to see in Kelowna, we do not wait or rely upon the CSI to tell us what our issues are as a community,” the statement read.

“RCMP provides crime data updates to Council on a regular basis so that, together, we are taking timely and innovative actions to address the safety needs of our community. Many of the types of crime that drive our position on the CSI are ones where we have seen positive downward trends over the past year.”

It was noted that 44 per cent of the City of Kelowna’s annual operating budget is spent on Community Safety, which in turn has supported a number of initiatives such as the Mayor’s Task Force on Crime Reduction, which has issued seven recommendations for prioritizing safety; enhancing visibility and presence of safety and enforcement positions; contributing to the URBA On Call program which services the Upper Rutland Business Area; and continued deliver on the recommendations in the Community Safety.

The statement added that Crime and Community Safety remain top priorities for the city, but noted work must continue in partnership with organizations and other levels of government to provide supports for mental health and address other issues the city is not equipped to deal with alone.

“We currently have several advocacy efforts ongoing, including the need for stricter accountability for repeat property offenders, bail reform and more local Crown Prosecutors dedicated particularly to bail hearings and repeat property offenders,” the statement noted.

“We also advocated for banning the use of illicit drugs in public spaces, for stricter bail conditions for repeat violent offenders, increasing complex care housing and supports, and continuing to work with provincial partners to effectively address social issues such as homelessness, mental health, addictions, and complex needs.”

While the local CSI declined on an annual basis, that wasn’t the case for the provincial or national figures.

StatsCan reported B.C. as having a CSI of 14.1 in 2023, up four per cent from 2022’s figures.

British Columbia had the third highest CSI of any province after Saskatchewan’s rating of 106.2 and Manitoba’s figure of 145.5. It was noted the territories all had high CSI’s with Northwest Territories’ recorded at 473.7, Nunavut having a CSI of 429.1, and the Yukon’s rating at 218.8. The provinces with the lowest CSIs were Ontario at 60.9 and Quebec at 62.2.

B.C.’s total crime figure was recorded at 408,636, with a rate of 7,404. That crime total was second highest in Canada after Quebec (695.259), while the rate of crimes per 100,000 people was below those in Nunavut (56,516), Northwest Territories (54,974), Yukon (22,430), Saskatchewan (12,909), Manitoba (10,599), and Alberta (10,599).

Canada as a whole recorded a Crime Severity Index of 80.5 in 2023, up two per cent from the year before. The total crime figure was reported at over 2.34-million, while the total crime rate was 5,843, the latter of which was up three per cent annually.

by Liam Verster

Kelowna’s Crime Severity Index declined on an annual basis

What Matters