Crime rates falling across Canada, but still rising in Nunavut

Per capita homicide rates in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories in 2012 greatly exceeded those in all other jurisdictions, Statistics Canada reported July 25. (IMAGE FROM STATISTICS CANADA)

Although police-reported crime rates continued to fall across Canada in 2012, they continued to rise in Nunavut, Statistics Canada reported July 25.

StatsCan’s numbers show Nunavut with the second-highest per capita rate of crime among all provinces and territories in 2012 — and the highest rate of violent crime, included the country’s highest homicide rate.

Incidences of crime in all categories rose 3 per cent in the territory last year — but dropped by 3 per cent in Canada as a whole.

Nunavut’s crime severity index, a measure of how badly crime affects people, rose by 1 per cent in Nunavut — but dropped by 3 per cent in Canada as a whole.

On the bright side, Nunavut’s crime severity index for crimes of violence dropped by 6 per cent. This was offset by a 7 per cent rise in the severity index for property crimes.

Another bright spot is that annual increases in the crime severity index for Nunavut, as well as the overall crime rate, appear to be slowing down.

But Nunavut and the NWT are not yet enjoying the sharp declines in crime rates that most provinces have been enjoying.

As in 2011, the Northwest Territories recorded the highest overall crime rate, pushed by high rates of property crime that soar far above Nunavut’s.

But the NWT’s rate of violent crime stood lower than Nunavut’s in 2012.

Of all provincial and territorial jurisdictions in Canada, Ontario had the lowest crime rate in 2012.

And out of all “census metropolitan areas” in Canada, which includes all major cities, Toronto — with a 7 per cent decrease — enjoyed the lowest rates of crime for the sixth year in a row.