Crime Rates, Trends and Perceptions in Canada

Question 1

Are crime rates increasing or decreasing?

Answer 1

DECREASING

Question 2

What is the issue with police reported crimes?

Answer 2

in canada theft is either above or below $5000. For example if someone steals a chocolate bar, they would be charged the same thing as if someone stole a TV.

any variation with dramatically impact the overall crime rate

Question 3

What is the Crime Severity Index?

Answer 3

Assigns weighting to particular offences (higher weights more serious crimes and vice versa)

Question 4

When was the CSI created?

Answer 4

2008

Question 5

What are the trends in crime severity?

Answer 5

crime SEVERITY is decreasing

Question 6

What are the social factors of the crime severity index?

Answer 6

• public sensitization and intolerance to offences such as domestic violence, child abuse
• offences reflecting police enforcement rather than ‘actual’ changes in criminal activity including drug offences and prostitution

Question 7

What limitations are there to the crime severity index?

Answer 7

• population limitations

- census data limitations; not perfect knowledge

Question 8

What is the dark figure of crime?

Answer 8

A lot of crimes go unreported; they still happen but go unreported

Question 9

Who experienced higher level of satisfaction with their safety?

Answer 9

• males
• individuals with household incomes of $20,000 or more
• non aboriginals
• the able’d

Question 10

What are the limits to the victimization survey?

Answer 10

• crime is still under-reported (victims might fear repercussions)
• response bias: variability in reporting (white people more likely to report than black people)
• higher educated individuals more likely to report crime than those with less education

Question 11

Has the overall crime rate in canada increased or decreased?

Answer 11

decreased

Question 12

According to the GSS, who is more satisfied with their person safety?

Answer 12

-younger people more than seniors

Question 13

According to the GSS, individuals who had victimized the victim of the crime has the same level of safety satisfaction as who?

Answer 13

as those who has been the victim of a non-violent crime

Question 14

Who feels less safe? Males or females?

Answer 14

Females

Question 15

Police Reported Crime Rates (PRCR)

Answer 15

• measures changes in volumes of crime and counts each criminal incident equally
• excludes; traffic, drug, federal and provincial statute offences
• 3 subtotals: violent, property, and other criminal codes
• takes into account the CSI

Question 16

when was the Youth Severity Crime Index introduced?

Answer 16

2009

Question 17

Even though CSI was decreasing overall, what was increasing?

Answer 17

• all levels of sexual assualt

Question 18

what were the most crimes in 2010 reported as?

Answer 18

property crimes

Question 19

what factors affect the police crime stats?

Answer 19

• behavioural patterns (variations in people committing the offences)
• societies responses to criminal behaviour
• demographics (age)
• public reporting rates to the police
• local police policies and procedures
• legislative changes
• social and economic factors
• technological change

Question 20

What does the UCR not include?

Answer 20

victim and offender characteristics

Question 21

Victimization Surveys?

Answer 21

• help estimate unreported/unrecorded crime
• help explain why victims dont report crime
• impact of crime on victim
• identity populations at risk