Guest 3:55, it is always better to use actual statistics, rather than emotionally laden anecdotes.

The following is from the Canadian government's website on Statistics, which can be found at:
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/020717/d020717b.htm.

Of the 2.4 million criminal incidents, excluding traffic offences, 13% were violent crimes, 52% were property crimes, and the remaining 35% were other offences such as mischief, disturbing the peace, prostitution or arson.

The violent crime rate rose for the second year in a row, although homicides remained stable. The property crime rate continued its long-term downward trend. The crime rate among youth rose for the second straight year (+1%).

Police reported about 309,000 violent crimes in 2001, up 7,000 from 2000. This nudged the violent crime rate up 1%, the second consecutive increase after seven years of decline from 1993 to 1999. Prior to 1993, the violent crime rate had risen each year since 1977. The 2001 violent crime rate was 6% lower than a decade ago, but 52% higher than 20 years ago.

Minor assaults account for almost two-thirds of all violent crimes each year. In 2001, the rate of minor assaults advanced 1% and was the key factor in the rise in the total violent crime rate. The more serious categories of assault - assault with a weapon and aggravated assault - increased 5%, mainly because of a 7% increase in Quebec and a 14% jump in Saskatchewan.

The overall rate of sexual assaults rose slightly (+0.7%), primarily because of an 8% increase in Quebec. However, Quebec still reported the lowest rate among the provinces. The slight increase at the national level was the first increase in sexual assault since 1993. The 2001 sexual assault rate is 27% lower than in 1991.

The more serious categories of sexual assault declined. The rate of sexual assaults with a weapon declined 17% and aggravated sexual assaults dropped 9%.

The robbery rate remained relatively stable in 2001. Robberies involving firearms have been dropping consistently over the past decade, including a 12% decline in 2001; about one in every seven robberies was committed with a firearm. Robberies committed with other weapons, such as knives, increased 4%; robberies not involving any weapon were up 2%.

The rate of criminal harassment, commonly known as stalking, fell 5%, according to data from a group of 95 police services representing 42% of the national volume of crime. However, this rate had increased 45% from 1996 to 2000.

Six provinces and all three territories reported increases in violent crime in 2001. The largest provincial increases were in Saskatchewan (+8%), Nova Scotia (+6%) and New Brunswick (+5%). The largest declines were in British Columbia (-3%) and Manitoba (-2%).

Among the provinces, Saskatchewan and Manitoba reported the highest violent crime rates, and Quebec and Prince Edward Island continued to report the lowest.

Police reported 554 homicides in 2001, eight more than in 2000. Despite the small increase in numbers, the rate remained stable for the third consecutive year at 1.8 homicides for every 100,000 population. In general, the homicide rate has been declining since the mid-1970s. The rate of attempted murders fell 7% in 2001.

All four Atlantic provinces and Quebec reported a decline in homicides; Ontario and all three prairie provinces recorded small increases.

Manitoba had 34 homicides, resulting in the highest homicide rate (3.0 homicides per 100,000 population) for the second consecutive year, followed by Saskatchewan (2.7) and Alberta (2.3). Newfoundland and Labrador, with one homicide, had the lowest rate (0.2), followed by Nova Scotia (1.0) and New Brunswick (1.1).