Statistics Canada Reports Crime Continues To Decline

Statistics Canada today released a report on Police-reported crime statistics for 2009.

According to the report:

"Police-reported crime in Canada continues to decline. Both the volume and severity of police-reported crime fell in 2009, continuing the downward trend seen over the past decade (...)"

"The crime rate, a measure of the volume of crime reported to police, fell 3% in 2009 and was 17% lower than a decade ago."

"The Crime Severity Index (CSI), a measure of the seriousness of police-reported crime, declined 4% in 2009 and stood 22% lower than in 1999."

"Violent crimes, which range in seriousness from harassing phone calls to homicide, accounted for about 1 in 5 crimes in 2009. Police-reported violent crime in Canada is also declining, but to a lesser extent than overall crime (...)"

"Rates for many violent crimes fell in 2009, including serious assault, sexual assault and robbery."

"However, some violent crimes did increase. There were 806 attempted murders in 2009, 85 more than in 2008. Increases were also reported in the rate of extortion, firearms offences and criminal harassment."