A REALISTIC APPROACH TO REDUCING CRIME IN CANADA (2007)

Over the past few years crime (and its impact on businesses and communities) have become two of the most important issues for chamber members across the province.

This reflects the view of the public at large as opinion polls have consistently shown that BC and the west view crime as a more serious problem than the eastern provinces. This perception is also supported by the data which for the period 1995-2005 have shown higher crime rates in the west, both over time and across virtually all categories.

While BC continues to have one of the highest crime rates in Canada, this must be viewed within the context of an overall improvement in crime rates for the each of the major crime categories: violent crime, property crime, and other crimes. While this is a cause for celebration again, within the wider context, it continues to be a cause for concern as while BC’s relative position within Canada may be improving, it still lags behind the national average for all major crime categories.

The inability of BC to significantly improve its comparative position with other jurisdictions is mirrored by Canada’s international position.

The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) for many years has been involved in the International Crime Victim Survey (ICVS), and is a member of the board of ICVS. Other board members include government ministries from several countries and the European Union; the Department of Justice for Canada is also a board member.

In comparison with other developed countries, crime rates in Canada are relatively high. The United Nations’ International Crime Victims Survey of 17 industrialized countries in 2000 placed Canada in the “high-risk” group for violent-contact crimes, worse than the United States, where the violent crime rate has dropped significantly since 1999; Canada’s has stayed virtually the same.

Data from Statistics Canada bears out the fact that Canada as a whole and, particularly urban communities in Canada, has a serious crime problem. Although comparison with the U.S. is tenuous, the data that is available tends to confirm the results of the International Crime Victim Survey.

According to Statistics Canada’s Criminal Victimization Survey, there were more than eight million criminal offences in Canada in 2004, directly affecting one person in four. There were more than 2.7 million violent crimes, which inflicted over 650,000 physical injuries.

Property crime accounted for 49 per cent of Criminal Code offences reported to police in Canada in 2004, the latest year for which data is available. Thirty-nine per cent were “other” Criminal Code offences, and 12 per cent were violent crimes. These figures exclude Criminal Code traffic incidents, drug offences and other federal statute offences that collectively were equivalent to approximately 10 per cent of the three principal categories of Criminal Code offences. (Statistics Canada, Juristat, Crime Statistics in Canada, 2004, catalogue no. 85-002-XIE, Vol. 25, no 5, p.16)

There are many reasons why Canada has the level of crime that the victim survey data indicates. The Chamber believes that there are two primary goals on which government should focus to have a significant and lasting impact on reducing crime rates:

1. identifying and tackling the root causes of crime; and
2. identifying and correcting capacity and inefficiencies in the application and prosecution of justice.

Improving Canada’s record with respect to crime will require a concerted effort among all levels of government; police; prosecutors; the judiciary; those responsible for the treatment of drug addiction and drug addicts with mental health problems; those responsible for housing the homeless; health authorities, and educators. There is a need for a consultative and co-operative approach involving all of these parties in a national effort, with a corresponding commitment of adequate resources.

These are significant challenges that cannot be addressed by one level of government, but rather by a co-ordinated, truly national strategy. It will not succeed otherwise.

While the administration of the Court System, (for example, the need for Crown Counsel to lay charges and the delays in disposing of cases) is only within the jurisdiction of the provincial government, the challenges with regarding to sentencing and the other substantive provisions of the Criminal Code are under federal jurisdiction.

The Chamber believes these types of issues can only be addressed effectively through the creation of a Criminal Justice Commission, charged with a strong but focused mandate. The Chamber believes that the benefit of a permanent Commission as distinct from a temporary structure, such as a task force, offers the benefit of taking a longer-term perspective while allowing for a greater degree of responsiveness as circumstances change. While a task force has merit, there are numerous examples of task force reports whose recommendations quickly become obsolete as the reality changes.

The key to the success of the Commission will be the level to which the individuals are free from political interference. The commission should be comprised of senior individuals from all levels of government, as well as from the criminal justice community. The Chamber believes that the mandate of the group should be structured in such a way as to institutionalize the Commission’s independence from political interference. Bureaucrats and politicians must not be allowed to protect their turf at the expense of justice.

While the recommendations of the Commission will be the result of substantive consultation and research, The Chamber believes that a cornerstone of a national strategy must be measured to address certain critical areas including but not be limited to:

• Increased levels of policing;
• Adequate prosecution resources;
• Improved sentencing guidelines, including escalating sentences for chronic offenders;
• Revision of public policy underlying the Criminal Code to re-emphasize the protection of society and the responsibility of individuals for their criminal behaviour;
• Improved treatment for addictions and mental health; and
• The addressing of the underlying social conditions and influences that contribute to the severity of the problem.

A problem that is only beginning to be dealt with is the failure of the justice system to deal adequately with chronic offenders, particularly with respect to property crime and robberies. A large majority of these types of crimes tend to be committed by a relatively small number of repeat offenders.

Cities are beginning to develop crime-reduction strategies in an effort to address the root causes of crime in individual communities. While we applaud their efforts, in order to be effective, a national crime reduction strategy is required that will be implemented in every province, territory and region in Canada.

THE CHAMBER RECOMMENDS

That all levels of government, provincial, federal and municipal, create a permanent Criminal Justice Commission that is responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive national integrated crime reduction strategy to address the core issues and challenges facing the criminal justice system across the local, provincial and federal levels.