SECTION 5: CRIME STATISTICS IN CANADA

Counting crime: What are the two main ways crime is counted in Canada?

1. Uniform crime reporting (UCR) system

2. Victimization surveys (GSS, SSPPS)

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) System: What is the UCR based on?

police reported incidents only

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) System: What makes an incident "founded" under the UCR?

either

• (a) evidence it occurred or

• (b) no evidence it didn't after being reported

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) System: What rule means only one offense per event is counted?

The hierarchy rule, only the most serious offense is recorded

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) System: How does the hierarchy rule rank crime types?

violent > property > other

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) System: key limitation of UCR data?

misses unreported crime, the dark figure, and can underrepresent complex events

Victimization Surveys: What survey measures Canadian self-reported experiences of victimization

The general social survey (GSS) on victimization

Victimization Surveys: What newer survey expands on this?

The survey of safety in public and private spaces (SSPPS)

Victimization Surveys: What kind of crimes do victimization surveys capture?

crimes not reported to police

Victimization Surveys: What is the dark figure of crime?

crime that is unreported or undetected, not captured in official statistics

Victimization Surveys: Why are victimization surveys important?

They reveal the gap between lived experiences and official reports

Crime Rate vs. Crime Severity Index (CSI): How is the crime rate calculated?

Number of police reported crimes per 100,000 population

Crime Rate vs. Crime Severity Index (CSI): What does the crime rate measure?

The volume of crime, not its seriousness

Crime Rate vs. Crime Severity Index (CSI): What is the crime severity index (CSI)?

A measure that weights crimes by their average sentence length to reflect seriousness

Crime Rate vs. Crime Severity Index (CSI): what year provides the CSI baseline?

2006

Crime Rate vs. Crime Severity Index (CSI): What are the two CSI subcategories?

Violent CSI and Non Violent CSI

Why is CSI considered more sensitive?

a small change in serious crime (like homicide) can significantly affect the score

2024 Crime Data Highlights (Statistics Canada, 2024): How many police-reported incidents occurred in 2024?

2.3 million

2024 Crime Data Highlights (Statistics Canada, 2024): Where is Canada are crime rates generally higher?

Western and Northern regions

2024 Crime Data Highlights (Statistics Canada, 2024): What was the overall 2024 trend after three years of increase?

Crime rates declined overall

2024 Crime Data Highlights (Statistics Canada, 2024): What happened to the homicide rate in 2024?

decreased by 4%

2024 Crime Data Highlights (Statistics Canada, 2024): Which groups remained disproportionately affected by violence?

Indigenous and radicalized populations, female homicide victims increased

2024 Crime Data Highlights (Statistics Canada, 2024): Which crime rose or fell in 2024?

Shoplifting: rose

breaking and entering, motor theft, child porn and fraud: stable

Explaining Crime Statistics Trends: What factors influence changes in crime statistics?

Economy, demographics, policing focus, technology, and reporting rates

Explaining Crime Statistics Trends: Why don't all changes in date reflect behavioural shifts?

because reporting practices and policing priorities also affects numbers

The dark figure of crime: What does the dark figure of crime mean?

crimes that are unreported or undetected by police

The dark figure of crime: which crimes are underreported?

sexual assault, domestic violence, intimate partner violence

The dark figure of crime: Which crimes are almost fully captured by police?

Homicides

The dark figure of crime: Why is the dark figure important in criminology?

It reveals biases and gaps in official data, shaping policy and theory

Summary: What are the two complementary crime measures in Canada?

1. UCR/CSI = police reported

2. Victimization Surveys = self reported/unreported crime

Summary: What does combining both sources, UCR/CSI and Victimization Surveys, achieve?

a fuller, more accurate picture of national crime

Integration: Why might UCR underestimate violence against women?

it lacks relationship context and relies on police reports, missing many domestic incidents

Integration: What are key comparisons to know for exams?

• UCR vs. CSI vs. Victimization surveys

• volume vs. severity vs, experience

Integration: What concept ties measurement issues together

The "dark figure of crime"