(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

The focus fell on Kamloops when Statistics Canada released crime data for last year, revealing the Canada's Tournament Capital to also be the Crime Capital in 2023. 

Statistically, it may be unfair to compare the city of around 100,000 to other Census Metropolitan Areas like Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, but compared to itself over years past, crime appears to be at its worst in 15 years.

The crime severity index, which measures the crime rate and assigns a higher "weight" to more severe or violent crimes, came to 165 for the metro area in 2023 and 172 for Kamloops itself. That's the highest it's been since 2007, according to StatsCan.

READ MORE: Comparing crime rates for 2023 in Kamloops, Okanagan

While the crime rate is measured by comparing police-reported crimes with a city's population, every crime is given the same weight. The crime severity index, meanwhile, is measured by taking into account the seriousness of each crime. The index has a baseline of 100, based on the 2006 national index rating, according to StatsCan.

The overall severity index in Kamloops, now at a 15-year high, can also be split into violent on non-violent crime. Violent crime was still high, but down from 2022 to 136, while non-violent crime was up to 187. 

The national index rating across metro areas in 2023 was 80.5 with Kamloops at the top, followed by Chilliwack, Nanaimo and Kelowna. The overall crime rate was also highest in Kamloops, nearly tripling the national average.

"We're the smallest fish in a big pond," city councillor and deputy mayor for July Nancy Bepple said.

She said statistics can vary much more easily in a smaller city like Kamloops as opposed to larger centres, making it for difficult comparison. If compared to smaller centres in Central BC like Prince George or Williams Lake, she said Kamloops would look better off. 

While true, when compared to itself in previous years Kamloops is seeing more police-reported crime and fewer of those crimes are getting solved.

The clearance rate, which measures criminal files police consider resolved, is at its lowest since 1998, as far back as StatsCan records show. The all-time low in clearance rates applies to overall crime, along with both violent and non-violent crimes. 

iNFOnews.ca reached out to Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson, who campaigned in 2022 on a platform largely focused on public safety. He would not agree to an interview.

READ MORE: Kelowna unseated as Canada’s crime capital; Kamloops takes over

Instead, he gave a written statement lamenting a lack of support from the rest of city council over his proposals to make a safer community. He affirmed that he will "continue" his work for public safety.

"I believe (Kamloops RCMP Supt.) Jeff Pelley and his team are doing a great job and probably charging more people that are committing crimes," he said in his statement.

Kamloops RCMP actually saw the second fewest charges approved in 2023 since 1998 at 935. The fewest overall came in 2021 with 922 criminal charges approved by Crown prosecutors.

Supt. Pelley did not agree to an interview.

Bepple, meanwhile, said council and staff are working hard on improving public safety through both enforcement and through social services.

"There is not one specific thing the city is doing, but we want to allow RCMP to be more effective at what they do," she said. "One thing for sure is the role of (community service officers) and another is working with community groups."

On one hand, the City has been expanding the role of its bylaw officers, now community service officers, looking toward an eventual peace officer designation with Police Act changes. That allows a more hands-on approach to things like encampments or nuisance properties, while police are freed up for criminal offences, Bepple said.

Now that the union dispute over the bylaw department is over, its bolstering its ranks to eventually have 24/7 patrols. Bepple also said the City provides grant funding and support to social services as a more proactive measure.

Bepple went on to add that the City has approved funding for five more police officers at the local detachment that could help distribute the work if those positions were filled. That funding was approved before this council's term.

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