(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)

The severity of crime in Kelowna and Kamloops has gone down in the past year, but both cities are still high on the Canadian crime leaderboard.

Kelowna ranked 5th and Kamloops ranked 2nd in terms of which Canadian Metropolitan Areas had the most severe crime in 2024, according to the data released by Statistics Canada, July 22.

In the 2023 data Kelowna was ranked 7th and Kamloops was the nation’s crime severity capital. In 2024 Kamloops was unseated by Chilliwack.

Kamloops had the biggest drop in crime severity in the country, it’s down by 21 per cent to 129. Kelowna also had a significant drop in crime severity of roughly 11 per cent to 108. The county's total crime severity dropped from 81.2 to 77.89.

The crime severity index is different from the crime rate. The severity index measures how serious crimes are and calculates an average. Crimes are given a severity value. For example, first-degree murder has a crime severity value of 8273.62, while mischief has a value of 26.99. 

“This data tells a more complex story," Kelowna RCMP Insp. Chris Goebel said in a press release. “While our Crime Severity Index ranking has changed, the actual number of reported crimes has gone down. This may reflect a range of factors, and we recognize that not all incidents are reported. We remain committed to targeted enforcement, proactive engagement, prevention and building trust with the community as we work together to enhance public safety.”

Kelowna saw a 1.96 per cent decrease in violent crime and 11.6 per cent decrease in non-violent crime. The Kelowna area includes Peachland, West Kelowna and Lake Country.

Property crime dropped 10 per cent, including a 31 per cent decrease in business break and enters and a 15 per cent decrease in residential break and enters, according to the City of Kelowna's annual report.

In Kamloops, violent crime went down in 2024 with four-year lows reported for robberies, sexual assaults and threats.

While property crime was down in most areas, shoplifting reports have risen steadily year-over-year, doubling since 2021 to nearly 1,500 files. Residential break-in reports also rose when compared to 2023 by 27 per cent, though still down from 2022 and 2021.

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