The Crime Severity Index (CSI) increased slightly in Delta but the city of continues to be a very safe community.
That’s according to Police Chief Neil Dubord following this week’s release of the latest overall CSI figures from Statistics Canada.
The CSI outlines the amount of crime and severity of crimes reported in the country in 2021, as well breaking the numbers down by province and individual municipalities.
A method to compare crime consistently across jurisdictions, a low CSI rate is indicative of a relatively safe community. Index scores are compared to a baseline of 100, which is calculated using historical data.
In 2021, the CSI was at 57.62, an increase of 1.05 per cent from 2020.
Delta’s 2020 CSI was down by almost 12 per cent in comparison to 2019.
While the CSI increased slightly in 2021, the City of Delta maintained the majority of its decrease it experienced in the previous year and continues to be a very safe community, Dubord said in a news release.
Overall, Delta ranked third for the Greater Vancouver/Lower Mainland area municipal police jurisdictions for the lowest CSI score. Delta’s CSI is below the provincial CSI average of 92.6 and the national CSI average of 73.7.
Dubord said he is proud of the DPD’s incredibly dedicated and passionate team.
“Our team works 24/7 to ensure that our community is one of the safest to live, play, visit and work in BC, with a CSI that is lower than the provincial average. I am fortunate to have the front row seat to witness the commitment and dedication of our team. I know that our team members attend every call and carry out every investigation with the purpose to ensure community safety and well-being in accordance with our Community Safety and Well-Being Plan; it is because of their ongoing efforts that we were able to maintain a low CSI,” he said.
Statistics Canada notes that police-reported crime in the country, as measured by the CSI, remained stable, changing from 73.9 in 2020 to 73.7 in 2021.
This follows a seven per cent drop in the CSI in 2020, the first after five years of increases. The stability in the overall CSI was the result of increases in violent crime and continued decreases in non-violent crime.
Taking a look at the Statistics Canada numbers for Delta, the Violent CSI was up in 2021 compared to the previous year.
After being 24.7 and 33.08 in 2017 and 2018 respectively, it jumped to 60.7 in 2019, and then fell to 46.21 in 2020. In 2021, it was 50.12, up 8.46 per cent from the previous year.
According to Statistics Canada, the Violent CSI in the country rose five per cent in 2021, and was also higher than in 2019, prior to the pandemic.
The increase in Canada overall was primarily driven by a relatively large rise in the rate of level 1 sexual assault (18 per cent higher). Various other violent crimes also increased in volume in 2021, however they had a more marginal impact on the CSI.
Delta’s non-violent CSI in 2021, meanwhile, was 60.18, down just under one per cent from 2020.
Statistics Canada notes that the non-violent CSI in the country overall, which includes, for example, property offences and drug offences, declined three per cent in 2021, after a nine per cent drop in 2020.
Much of that decline was due to lower rates of breaking and entering (10 per cent lower) and theft of $5,000 or under (four per cent lower).
As far as a few other numbers nationally, there were 788 homicides in 2021, which was 29 more than the previous year.
In 2021, four in ten (41 per cent) homicides in Canada were firearm-related.
Of the 297 firearm-related homicides that occurred in 2021, almost half (46 per cent) were considered by police to be gang-related.
In an update on the federal government’s proposed Bill C-21 gun law, Dubord told the Delta Police Board at its June 2022 meeting that there continues to be a need for ongoing and coordinated investment in communities to prevent gun and gang violence by all levels of government.
As far as the number of police-reported hate crimes in Canada, that increased by 27 per cent in 2021. Last year, Delta Police said they were seeing a significant rise in hate crimes, a disturbing trend that was seen across Metro Vancouver.
Also nationally in 2021, opioid-related offences saw a 13 per cent increase compared with 2020, while police-reported rates of heroin, ecstasy methamphetamine and cocaine-related drug offences all decreased.
This spring, the federal government announced that B.C. will be granted a three-year exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to remove criminal penalties for those who possess a small amount of drugs for personal use.
The exemption will be in effect from Jan. 31, 2023, to Jan. 31, 2026.
Dubord told the police board that it’s a good step, but there’s also gaps that still need to be addressed, which includes more services and supports to assist those facing addictions.
Deputy Chief Harj Sidhu told the police board the goal of the new exemption is to focus on street-level drugs, harm reduction and helping remove the stigma.
However, the issue of safe supply is also one that needs to be addressed.
