The Crime Severity Index (CSI), a national database on the frequency and severity of crime in the nation, is kept up to date by Statistics Canada.The CSI provides a more detailed picture of crime levels than a typical crime rate, which merely counts the number of crimes. Instead, it uses police data to take into account the intensity of each incident. Scores are normalized to "100" (using a methodology akin to the Consumer Price Index) with 2006 serving as the base year to simplify the interpretation of the Index. Less serious crimes are weighted less, but more serious crimes are allocated larger weights, which influence the total index score more.
It is important to understand that the CSI is not a stand-alone indicator of safety or should not be regarded as authoritative. A more comprehensive study should include statistics on traditional crime rates, neighborhood safety, demographics, job opportunities, economic conditions, income levels, and housing conditions.
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Which Canadian cities are the safest, according to CSI?
By averaging the data from 2019 to 2023, we can observe that the following canadian cities have the lowest overall recorded crime scores:
Quebec City, Quebec, Overall CSI Score: 45.73;
Barrie, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 47.71;
Toronto, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 51.54;
Ottawa, Gatineau, All Parts, Overall CSI Score: 55.59;
Hamilton, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 57.74;
St. Catherine’s, Niagara, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 58.94;
Montréal, Quebec, Overall CSI Score: 59.98;
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Overall CSI Score: 66.92;
Kingston, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 70.92;
St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Overall CSI Score: 72.92;
London, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 73.71;
Victoria, British Columbia, Overall CSI Score: 75.40;
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 75.94;
Brantford, Ontario, Overall CSI Score: 77.09;
Calgary, Alberta, Overall CSI Score: 79.79;
Vancouver, British Columbia, Overall CSI Score: 90.74;
Edmonton, Alberta, Overall CSI Score: 105.16;
Regina, Saskatchewan, Overall CSI Score: 113.18;
Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Overall CSI Score: 114.85;
Kelowna, British Columbia, Overall CSI Score: 120.51; and
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Overall CSI Score: 125.82.
For provinces where CMAs were not measured under the CSI, the following data is available:
Prince Edward Island, Overall CSI Score: 62.59;
New Brunswick, Overall CSI Score: 84.94;
Yukon, Overall CSI Score: 215.87;
Nunavut, Overall CSI score: 390.66; and
Northwest Territories, Overall CSI score: 427.88.
What is measured by CSI?
Every year, variations in the degree of severity of crime in Canada are measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI). Every crime has a weight that corresponds to how serious it is; these weights are derived from the real punishments that judges throughout all provinces and territories have imposed. Higher weights for more serious crimes indicate that they have a greater influence on the index, whereas lower weights are assigned to less serious offenses.The Violent Crime Severity Index and the Non-Violent Crime Severity Index are the two primary categories into which CSI can be further divided.
The Violent Crime Severity Index: includes all violent violations reported in the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR2). Examples include uttering threats, criminal harassment, and forcible confinement; while
The Non-Violent Crime Severity Index encompasses all non-violent Criminal Code violations, including traffic offenses, drug violations, and violations of all Federal Statutes.
Note: Crimes in Canada's Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) are the main focus of the CSI. One or more neighboring municipalities surround a population center, referred to as the "core," to create a CMA. At least 100,000 people must live in a CMA overall, with at least 50,000 of those people having to reside in the center.
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