This week, Statistics Canada released an updated Crime Severity Index (CSI) for the country, the province, as well as for metropolitan areas such as Victoria and its surrounding municipalities.
According to the CSI, crime is down in Victoria to a five-year low. The CSI rating for 2024 was 71.04, as compared to 2023’s 79.97. The next lowest CSI rating for Victoria in the last five years was 72.72 in 2021.
Last year’s drop represents an 11.17% drop in crime.
However, the violent crime rate in Victoria has increased slightly since last year with a rating of 79.97, compared to 2023’s rating of 74.28.
Non-violent crime was likely the main factor in the drop of Victoria’s 2024 CSI rating, with a rating of just 68.06, compared to 2023’s rating of 82.91.
This represents a drop of 17.91% in non-violent crime.
“I am happy to see a decrease in the CSI in Victoria, in-line with what’s happening in the province and the rest of Canada,” said Chief Del Manak.
“We’ve put a significant amount of effort into crime prevention and disrupting nonviolent crime, and I commend all of our officers, Reserves and Volunteers for this positive outcome.”
In BC as a whole, the updated CSI shows that crime is down across the board.
Last year’s CSI rating for the province is down by 10.82%, from 104.26 in 2023 to 92.98 in 2024.
This also represents the lowest CSI rating for the province in the last five years.
Violent crime is down by 3.36% throughout BC and non-violent crime is down by 13.52%.
“The newly released 2024 police-reported crime stats are encouraging. BC’s Crime Severity Index fell 11% last year to its lowest level in six years, marking the largest drop in the country,” said Nina Krieger, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
“This progress reflects the continued efforts by the BC government, First Nations and local governments, police services, community organizations and businesses to work together to build safer communities.”
Krieger added that the reduction also reflects increased resources for police, mental health and addictions supports and initiatives.
