The severity of crime has gone down in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows according to the latest figures released by Statistics Canada.
The federal agency released their most recent Crime Severity Index on Aug. 2, for the year 2021, that showed a decline for a second straight year.
In 2021, the figure was 81.74, down from 91.69 in 2020, and 108.78 in 2019. In Pitt Meadows the figure trended downwards as well from 78.91 in 2019, 59.72 in 2020, and 53.03 in 2021.
The index is a tool for measuring police-reported crime in Canada that tracks changes in the severity of crime, not just volume.
It considers police reported incidents and victim reported incidents, said Insp. Jayson Lucash with the Ridge Meadows RCMP.
It also takes into account variables such as population size and the severity in nature of crimes reported.
Essentially, noted Lucash, if a crime is very serious in nature – like assault, robbery, homicide, or gun violence – the CSI will be higher. Less serious crimes such as criminal mischief or theft under $5000, will have a lesser affect.
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“Intelligence generated by members and collated by our Crime Analysts is ensuring police are rapidly deploying officers to areas where crime is occurring,” noted Insp. Jayson Lucash.
“Proactive initiatives such as Project Core and Project Blitz, our community bike patrols, the creation of a curfew check program and our new Mental Health Team have collaboratively contributed to this downward crime trend as reflected in our CSI numbers,” he said.
Lucash added that his department will not rest and will “continue to seek and implement innovative strategies which make the communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows safer.”
For more information go to www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3510006301.
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