Macleans Magazine Tags Thunder Bay in Crime Stats

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THUNDER BAY – Thunder Bay has come out in second place in a MacLean’s Magazine report. However the report is one that has the city in second place in Canada in terms of murders. Abbotsford British Columbia is atop the list as Canada’s per capita murder capital.

Thunder Bay’s figures are 182% above Canada’s national average. Thunder Bay is also listed as the 21st worst city when it comes to Sexual Assaults with a ranking of 21.54% more sexual assualts than the Canadian average.

Thunder Bay is 38th worst in Break and Enters, and 12th worst in Robberies with our ranking 38% above Canada’s national average.

Macleans rates that crime in Ontario has fallen by 21%, so Thunder Bay’s rankings are running counter to the overall trend in Ontario.

In robberies, only Toronto is worse than Thunder Bay. In homicides, Thunder Bay is listed as the worst place in Ontario. In sexual assaults, our city is the seventh worst in Ontario.

The only area listed by Macleans where Thunder Bay can, perhaps, take some solance is in the area of vehicle thefts. Our city is listed as the 75th worst in Canada.

They could even be worst, this week at the Young Professionals Network Mayoral Debate, challenger Keith Hobbs stated that while there are eight murders in the past two years, there are also four other victims who are on life support. As Hobbs stated, “They are not coming back”.

The crime issue has been one that for the past two years has increasingly dominated public concern. Thunder Bay City Council has countered by forming a Crime Prevention Council.

This is a measure that will, once the Council is formed, and once it studies the problem and comes up with recommendations be very helpful in solving this growing problem.

However that is likely at least a year away from coming together and then perhaps longer before the Crime Prevention Council’s report can be implemented.

What should be fully understood by the Police Services Board and Police Administration as well as City Council is that it is their lack of action over the past decade has led to the current problems.

Each issue of Macleans Magazine is read by 2,370,000 readers. According to the publication’s readership stats, 53% are men and 47% are women. Their average age is 46.

The good work done by Thunder Bay’s Community Economic Development Commission, and Thunder Bay Tourism over the past several years are likely to take a hit as a result of this report.

The reality is that until Thunder Bay; at the Council level, the Police Services Board; and within Police Adminstration; come to understand that having Thunder Bay listed in this national ranking so poorly is going to impact all of the positive efforts that so many in our city are working so hard to achieve, nothing substantive is going to change.

Police Chief Bob Herman should be taking a look at this week’s Macleans Magazine and deciding on why he is actually Chief of Police.

It could easily be argued that the Chief has lost focus on his real job and real responsibilities. Perhaps it is time for the Police Services Board to seek that Chief Herman step back from his outside activities and focus on his job.

You can read the entire Macleans Magazine article at:

http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/10/14/national-crime-rankings-2010/

METHODOLOGY: Maclean’s obtained annual crime data from Statistics Canada for municipal police services serving the nation’s 100 largest populations, each encompassing a city or town of at least 10,000 people. Using 2009 rates per 100,000 people for six crimes—homicide, sexual assault, aggravated assault, vehicle theft, robbery plus breaking and entering—in each area, Maclean’s calculated the percentage difference from the national rate. The overall crime score ranking for the 100 communities was created in consultation with StatsCan, using its Crime Severity Index (CSI) score and calculating the percentage difference from the national CSI score.

Canada’s most dangerous cities: Homicide

Canada’s national rate is 1.8 murders per 100,000 population

#2 Thunder Bay, Ont. 182.08% above National Average

#22 Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. 43.81% above National Average

#25 Toronto, Ont. 32.75% above National Average

Canada’s most dangerous cities: Sexual assault

The Canadian rate is 62 assaults per 100,000 population

#10 Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. 53.30% above National Average

#21 Thunder Bay, Ont. 21.54% above National Average

#52 Toronto, Ont. -9.73% below National Average

Canada’s most dangerous cities: Robbery

The Canadian rate is 96 robberies per 100,000 population, with robberies including anything from bank hold-ups to purse snatchings.

#10 Toronto, Ont. 103.35% above National Average

#12 Thunder Bay, Ont. 38.98% above National Average

#43 Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. -19.31% above National Average

Canada’s most dangerous cities: Breaking and entering

#38 Thunder Bay, Ont. 18.14% above National Average

#39 Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. 16.40% above National Average

#91 Toronto, Ont. -41.74% below National Average

Canada’s most dangerous cities: Auto theft

#56 Toronto, Ont. -25.95

75 Thunder Bay, Ont. -46.57

Here is the overall rankings :

1 Prince George, B.C. 90.41%

2 Victoria, B.C. 80.65

3 Regina, Sask. 73.35

4 Saskatoon, Sask. 68.85

5 Fort McMurray, Alta. 68.08

6 Kelowna, B.C. 64.95

7 Grande Prairie, Alta. 63.50

8 Surrey, B.C. 60.34

9 Chilliwack, B.C. 58.32

10 Winnipeg, Man. 57.08

11 Red Deer, Alta. 53.57

12 Nanaimo, B.C. 48.34

13 Edmonton, Alta. 48.00

14 New Westminster, B.C. 45.97

15 Belleville, Ont. 45.40

16 Saint John, N.B. 44.95

17 Burnaby, B.C. 39.04

18 Vancouver, B.C. 37.40

19 Lethbridge, Alta. 31.95

20 Kamloops, B.C. 31.62

21 Maple Ridge, B.C. 31.32

22 Brantford, Ont. 30.93

23 Thunder Bay, Ont. 29.05

24 Montréal, Que. 28.54

25 Langley Township, B.C. 23.97

26 Abbotsford, B.C. 22.18

27 Cornwall, Ont. 21.46

28 Joliette, Que. 19.34

29 Saint-Jérôme, Que. 18.76

30 North Vancouver, B.C. 15.47

31 London, Ont. 12.33

32 Halifax Region, N.S. 11.45

33 Mirabel, Que. 7.94

34 Shawinigan, Que. 6.20

35 Windsor, Ont. 5.02

36 Drummondville, Que. 4.67

37 St. John’s, Nfld. 3.87

38 Chatham-Kent, Ont. 3.33

39 Sarnia, Ont. -1.33

40 Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. -1.50

41 Hamilton, Ont. -1.77

42 Brome-Missisquoi, Que. -2.31

43 Fredericton, N.B. -2.79

44 Richmond, B.C. -3.53

45 Longueuil, Que. -4.71

46 Moncton, N.B. -4.99

47 Medicine Hat, Alta. -5.02

48 Trois-Rivières, Que. -5.20

49 Cape Breton, N.S. -5.40

50 Sudbury, Ont. -7.18

51 St.Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que. -7.49

52 Maskoutains, Que. -7.73

53 Coquitlam, B.C. -7.89

54 Victoriaville, Que. -8.04

55 Calgary, Alta. -8.50

56 Peterborough, Ont. -8.68

57 Toronto, Ont. -9.03

58 Granby, Que. -9.61

59 Gatineau, Que. -10.17

60 Delta, B.C. -11.60

61 Saguenay, Que. -12.07

62 St-Eustache, Que. -12.56

63 St. Catharines, Ont. -13.30

64 Sorel-Tracy, Que. -15.87

65 Kitchener, Ont. -15.88

66 Port Coquitlam, B.C. -16.06

67 Kingston, Ont. -16.15

68 Laval, Que. -16.44

69 St. Albert, Alta. -17.77

70 Barrie, Ont. -18.47

71 Sherbrooke, Que. -18.95

72 Thérèse-De-Blainville, Qc. -19.82

73 Ottawa, Ont. -21.68

74 Québec, Que. -22.46

75 Terrebonne, Que. -22.47

76 North Bay, Ont. -23.18

77 Sherwood Park, Alta. -25.23

78 Alma, Que. -25.92

79 West Vancouver, B.C. -27.41

80 Châteauguay, Que. -28.02

81 Durham Region (Oshawa/Whitby/Ajax), Ont. -30.89

82 Guelph, Ont. -32.15

83 Saanich, B.C. -33.96

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