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July 27, 2023 - 12:51 PM
As predicted by Greater Kelowna’s chief of police, the area has the highest crime severity index rating of any major metropolitan area in Canada.
It’s rating went up 4.25% from 2021 to 2022 to 128.02, a score that lumps in a number of factors.
That’s higher than the national rate of increase at 4% and the BC increase of 3.59%, according to data released today, July 27, by Statistics Canada.
The Crime Severity Index assigns rankings to the various crimes based on what kind of jail sentences follow from them.
In June, RCMP Supt. Kara Triance told Kelowna city council that the region’s high crime rating will likely continue, in part, because of the two million visitors the area attracts every year who skewer the math when calculating the index.
READ MORE: Kelowna RCMP hamstrung by justice system that leaves offenders on street
In 2021, Kelowna had the highest crime rate of major metropolitan areas, simply based on the number of reported crimes per capita.
It was second to only Lethbridge, Alberta in terms of crime severity, leading mayoralty candidate Tom Dyas to call the city the crime capital of Canada. He won the election last October.
READ MORE: Which Kelowna mayoralty candidate is telling you the truth about crime and taxes?
In 2022, Lethbridge’s Crime Severity Index dropped 8.1% to 118.97, leaving it in the number two spot.
The lowest rate for major centres in Canada in 2022 was Barrie, Ontario at 47.09.
This data just deals with census metropolitan areas. Those are the larger centres of population and in that context Kelowna means the entire Central Okanagan. The data set doesn't include Kamloops, Penticton or Vernon.
The national index sat at 78.10 while BC came in at 100.37 in 2022.
Nationally, the violent crime index went up 5% in 2022. That included a 15% increase in robberies, 39% increase in extortion, 8% increase in homicide and a 3% increase in level 1 sexual assault, Statistics Canada said in a news release.
The non-violent index increased by 4% for 2022 but was still 6% lower than the pre-pandemic 2019.
In 2022, motor vehicle thefts were up by 24%, breaking and entering by 4%, theft ($5,000 and under) by 10% and shoplifting by 31%.
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