Good news for Canada, bad news for Nunavut in 2010 crime numbers

Violent crime rates still rising in the territory

By NUNATSIAQ NEWS

This graph shows that Nunavut, out of all provinces and territories, suffers the highest violent crime severity index. (STATISTICS CANADA)


This graph shows that Nunavut, out of all provinces and territories, suffers the highest violent crime severity index. (STATISTICS CANADA)

Crime rates in Canada dropped to their lowest levels since 1973 in 2010, but in Nunavut the overall crime rate, especially the rate of violent crime, continues to rise, Statistics Canada reported July 21.

In Nunavut, the overall per capita rate of police-reported crime rose by four per cent.

But in the Northwest Territories, the overall crime rate rose even faster than that: 11 per cent from 2009 to 2010, giving the NWT the highest overall crime rate in Canada.

That’s because, in the NWT, the rate of less-serious property crime stands much higher than in Nunavut.

But the per capita rate of violent crime in Nunavut rose by 10 per cent between 2009 and 2010, while the rate of property crime showed no increase over 2009.

All this leaves Nunavut with the highest per capita rate of violent crime in Canada: 10,286 incidents of violent crime per 100,000 people.

Canada’s violent crime rate is only 1,282 crimes per 100,000 people, giving Nunavut a crime rate more than nine times higher than that of Canada’s.

Canada’s crime rate dropped by five per cent from 2009 to 2010, part of a long-term trend, but in Nunavut the rate still head in the opposite direction.

The jurisdictions with the lowest crime rates are Ontario and Quebec, where crime is dropping rapidly.

In another measurement, called “crime severity index,” Nunavut also fares badly.

The crime severity index is a special calculation that assigns a weight to each offence, based on its seriousness. Higher weights are given to offences that attract higher average sentences.

On that measure, Nunavut’s violent crime severity index, with a score of 505.7, soars high above all other Canadian jurisdictions.

Canada’s crime severity index in 2010 stood at only 88.9.

There were some glimmers of hope for Nunavut, however. The rate of impaired driving incidents dropped by 38 per cent, and rates of sexual assault and serious assault dropped slightly.

On the other hand, firearms offences rose by 80 per cent in 2010 over 2009.

Also, Nunavut suffered six homicides and four attempted murders in 2010.

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