1. Part F-I The Economic Theory of Crime and Punishment
Some Data
4/5/05
Crime_E

2. Objectives
- provide an overview of crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

3. Longer term trend Note units of measurement Substantial upward trends
Considerable shorter-term fluctuation (more so for property crime)
Total
4/5/05
Crime_E

4. Crime in Canada - some data
4/5/05
Crime_E

5. Crime in Canada - some data
Introduction
- Police-reported crime in Canada
Since 1962, (incidents that come to their attention, or detected through investigation) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey
- violent crime, property crime, impaired driving offences, drug offences and youth crime
- national, provincial/territorial and census metropolitan area levels.
- incidents and accused persons are also presented where appropriate.
4/5/05
Crime_E

6. Crime in Canada - some data
Incidents that come to the attention of the police are recorded and forwarded to the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCJS) according to a nationally-approved set of common crime categories and definitions.
- many factors may influence police-reported crime statistics
- reporting by the public to the police
- reporting by police to the CCJS
- the impact of new initiatives such as changes in
legislation, policies or enforcement practices
- social, economic and demographic changes.
4/5/05
Crime_E

7. Crime in Canada - some data
Reporting to police
- Two main sources of information in Canada: police-reported crime data and victimization surveys - General Social Survey (GSS)
- police-reported data measure crimes known to the police
- victimization surveys collect information directly from the general
population not necessarily investigated or substantiated by
police.
- Reasons why victims may not report criminal incidents to police.
- the level of perceived seriousness of the incident
- not wanting to involve the police
- fear of reprisals from the aggressor
- etc.
- Conversely, people are encouraged to report crime to police because of,
- the desire to see the offender punished
- the social obligation to report criminal behaviour
- the need to obtain a police report for insurance purposes
4/5/05
Crime_E

8. Crime in Canada - some data
Reporting to police
Reporting to police will vary by type of crime, region, class, etc.
- The failure to report crimes to the police will lead to an under-counting of crime
- Reporting deficiencies lead to statistical under-estimates and this might affect the measure of crime rates
- Greater (or lesser) awareness by the public, police and prosecutors of the true crime rates will affect
resources flows
public attitudes towards the crime
4/5/05
Crime_E

9. Crime in Canada - Property crime is a teenage activity
- Violent crime is a teenage and young person activity
NOTE these numbers refer to people accused of crimes but not the seriousness of the crimes
4/5/05
Crime_E

10. Crime in Canada
Trend versus fluctuations
4/5/05
Crime_E

11. Crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

12. Crime in Canada What factors might affect trends?
What factors might cause fluctuations?
4/5/05
Crime_E

13. Crime in Canada
What factors might explain the substantial inter-provincial variance in crime rates?
4/5/05
Crime_E

14. Crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

15. Crime in Canada What factors might explain such a trend? 4/5/05
Crime_E

16. Crime in Canada A violent crime but also an ‘economic’ crime 4/5/05
Crime_E

17. Crime in Canada
Economic crime (violent one)
4/5/05
Crime_E

18. Crime in Canada
What factors might explain the substantial inter-provincial variance in crime rates?
4/5/05
Crime_E

19. Crime in Canada What factors might affect trends?
What factors might cause fluctuations?
4/5/05
Crime_E

20. Crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

21. Crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

22. Crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

23. Crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

24. Crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

25. Crime in Canada
4/5/05
Crime_E

26. Breaking and Entering
4/5/05
Crime_E

27. Breaking and Entering
4/5/05
Crime_E

28. Breaking and Entering
4/5/05
Crime_E

29. Breaking and Entering
4/5/05
Crime_E

30. Breaking and Entering
4/5/05
Crime_E

31. Breaking and Entering
4/5/05
Crime_E

32. Breaking and Entering
4/5/05
Crime_E

33. Breaking and Entering
4/5/05
Crime_E

34. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

35. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

36. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

37. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

38. Homicide Why has Canada’s homicide rate been declining?
No single explanation can account for the decrease
- improvements in medical technology and emergency response systems.
Research in the United States
- without recent developments in trauma care, the homicide
rate would likely be three to five times higher. American
researchers looked at data over the past 40 years and found that, while the U.S. murder rate has gradually decreased, the rate of aggravated assault has increased.
Over the past 20 years in Canada, however, not
only has the homicide rate declined, but the rates of aggravated assault (-23%) and attempted murder (-38%) have also declined.
4/5/05
Crime_E

39. Homicide Other research - gun control laws
Additional research points to the
- effects of an aging population
4/5/05
Crime_E

40. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

41. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

42. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

43. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

44. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

45. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

46. Homicide 2003 Average Census Metropolitan Area 1993-2002
Population Number Rate Number Rate
500,000+ population
Toronto 5,118,
Montréal 3,586,
Vancouver 2,126,
Calgary 1,023,
Edmonton ,
Ottawa ,
Québec ,
Winnipeg ,
Hamilton ,
Kitchener ,
Total 15,800,
4/5/05
Crime_E

47. Homicide 2003 Average Census Metropolitan Area 1993-2002
Population Number Rate Number Rate
100, ,999 population
London 464,
St. Catharines
-Niagara 429,
Halifax 377,
Windsor 329,
Victoria 323,
Oshawa 319,
Gatineau 276,
Saskatoon 241,
Regina 197,
4/5/05
Crime_E

48. Census Metropolitan Area 1993-2002 Population Number Rate Number Rate
Average
Census Metropolitan Area
Population Number Rate Number Rate
St. John’s 177,
Greater Sudbury 160,
Abbotsford 157,
Kingston 153,
Saguenay 148,
Sherbrooke 145,
Saint John 144,
Trois-Rivières 144,
Thunder Bay 124,
Total 4,787,
CMA totals 20,588,
< 100,000 population
11,041,
Canada 31,629,
4/5/05
Crime_E

49. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

50. Homicide
4/5/05
Crime_E

51. Crime in Canada Some preliminary conclusions:
- There appear to be some trends that would be useful to explain
- There are some fluctuations over time
- There are definitely inter-provincial variances which should be explained
4/5/05
Crime_E