Crime

[plonq]

We're number one!

It seems that we are not only the Slurpee capital of the world, but we're the crime capital of Canada as well. Could there be a connection?

The article above lists off the various areas where we are first overall, and includes a wonderfully provocative picture to help scare the readers even more:



I know that I've linked to the article, but I want to quote a portion of it below for emphasis.

It will come as no surprise to any Winnipegger who's had his or her car stolen, garage broken into or corner convenience store robbed -- the Manitoba capital has the highest crime rate among major cities in CANADA.

Statistics Canada released its 2006 crime rates survey yesterday, topped by the good news the crime rate countrywide hit a 25-year low last year, with the rate falling in every province and territory. The report noted the national crime rate has fallen roughly 30% since it reached an all-time high in 1991.

SMALL COMFORT

That news is small comfort to Manitobans who experience among the highest crime rates in Canada.

So let me see if I have this right; we are supposed to be alarmed because our crime rate, albeit dropping like a stone, has not dropped as quickly as it has in the rest of the country. Surely normal folk see right through this kind of yellow journalism -- don't they? I overheard a couple of people who were discussing this article in the elevator yesterday.

Person 1: We're #1 again this year. The criminals are over-running everything.
Person 2: I feel sorry for the police. They just can't keep up.
Person 1: I've never seen it so bad.

Then again, maybe not.

"Auto theft is down 50% from last year, but there is still almost one car stolen ever six hours! Are your children safe?"

Comments

[duncandahusky.livejournal.com]

Just to provide a bit of perspective, though: According to the raw figures from Statistics Canada, Winnipeg saw 1.256 incidents of violent crime, 0.003 homicides, and 0.272 robberies per thousand people.

Let's compare that to some U.S. statistics, shall we? 1.256 incidents of violent crime is roughly equivalent to Ventura, California, Lakewood, Colorado, or Independence, Missouri. 0.003 homicides would be like Pembroke Pines, Florida, Woodbridge, New Jersey, or Torrance, California. And 0.272 robberies falls even with Irvine, California, Fort Collins, Colorado, or Amherst, New York.

(I've got Excel and I'm on a roll...)
But wait - all of those towns are under 500,000 in population, so let's level the playing field a bit. Winnipeg has a population of 633,451. That's roughly equivalent to Louisville, Kentucky (2.856 violent crimes, 0.080 homicides, 2.776 robberies), Fort Worth, Texas (2.284, 0.076, 2.208), or Baltimore, Maryland (7.066, 0.433, 6.633).

The moral of the story? We need to move to Canada :-)

True.

[plonq.livejournal.com]

I hadn't even thought to touch on that aspect of it.

I agree that it is not a good thing to have the highest overall crime rate in the country, but when that crime rate is 1) down significantly over previous years, and 2) comparatively low when held up to the rates in similar-sized cities in other countries, I get a little annoyed with the overt alarmism in the article.

If one read The Sun, one might be excused if you thought that our streets were being run by roaming gangs of armed thugs.

Re: True.

[atara.livejournal.com]

"If one read The Sun, one might be excused if you thought that our streets were being run by roaming gangs of armed thugs."

You mean they aren't?! Then what am I going to do with this anti-thug spray some guy sold me yesterday??

Re: True.

[duncandahusky.livejournal.com]

It occurred to me as I was writing that response that I missed the point of your post completely. But dude...statistics! I was having too much fun :-)