Instances of police-reported crime in Alberta have spiked to the point that for the first time in 12 years, there has been an increase in the national rate, according to Statistics Canada.
The national Crime Severity Index (CSI ó not to be confused with the popular television show) keeps track of the amount and severity of criminal activity reported by police. The federal agency announced last year that the CSI jumped five per cent between 2014 and 2015.
While there were smaller increases in other provinces such as B.C., Ontario and Saskatchewan, Alberta's 18 per cent rise alone contributed substantially to the national average's upwards hike.
Headlines about the rising number of property crimes, along with corresponding community concerns, throughout the province have prompted members of some municipalities to form Citizens on Patrol associations.
Sundre is no exception ó residents of the town and surrounding area, including myself, have been working to re-establish a local Citizens on Patrol program, which was last active in the 1990s. Our board recently approved bylaws, and we hope to soon start training, followed eventually by patrols that are expected to get underway some time this spring. Although still a work in progress, visit the association's website, www.scopa.co, for more information and developments, or even to get involved if perhaps you are so inclined.
Police officers cannot be expected to be everywhere at all times, and a collaborative approach between law enforcement agencies, such as the RCMP, and communities that are willing to contribute to keeping an eye out for criminal activity help to take a bite out of break-ins and thefts.
However, despite the significant uptick in property crimes throughout the province and parts of the country, the CSI nevertheless remains 31 per cent lower than a decade ago, states Statistics Canada. Additionally, the agency says data indicates the per-capita crime rate has overall been on a downward trend since the early 1990s. The only other jump was noted in 2003.
So certainly there is some solace to be found in the knowledge that despite the past couple of years' increase in crime, the rate overall remains much lower than recent decades.
However, numbers tracked by Statistics Canada indicate there is also plenty of room for improvement. In 1962, the national crime rate was recorded at 2,771 instances per 100,000 people, peaking at a staggering 10,342 per 100,000 in 1991. Numbers from 2015 showed a total of 5,198 crimes committed per 100,000 people.
In other words, today's crime rates are roughly half of what they were during a peak in the early 1990s, yet are still almost double what they were in the early 1960s.
That means while residents are encouraged to remain vigilant in watching one another's backs, they should not necessarily need to worry about looking over their shoulders with every step they take.
After all, Canada ó and indeed Alberta ó remains, when compared with many parts of the world, among the safest places on earth to live.
