Crime rates per 100, 000 population: This rate in Niagara went down from 2002 to 2007, went up in 2008 and back down after that for violent crimes (including criminal offences, homicide, robbery, break and enter and motor vehicle crime). They were below the OMBI average, except for property crimes that remained higher than the OMBI average. The average total crime rate in Niagara in 2009 was 52.71, down from 55.96 in 2008.
Table 6.2 Niagara Report comparing overall crime rates 2002-2006 with OMBI CAO 9-2008
| 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | ||
| Crime rate per 1,000 | Niagara | 88.03 | 71.03 | 61.67 | 57.16 | 56.36 | 55.96 | 52.71 |
| OMBI average | 67.85 | 63.94 | 60.76 | 58.37 | 55.36 | |||
| Violent crime per 1,000 | Niagara | 8.37 | 7.44 | 7.43 | 6.98 | 6.54 | 10.65 | 9.37 |
| OMBI average | 7.71 | 7.41 | 7.25 | 7.38 | 7.28 | 9.45 | ||
| Property crime | Niagara | 48.73 | 42.6 | 41.52 | 42.11 | 41.02 | 40.21 | 38.56 |
| OMBI average | 36.3 | 35.34 | 32.44 | 32.48 | 30.09 | 34.42 | ||
| Youth crimeper 1,000 | Niagara | 54.24 | 51.74 | 55.71 | 53.96 | 55.22 |
Source: OMBI, CAO 9-2009
Source: Adapted from Statitscs Canada CANSIM 252-0051
Crime rates: According to the OMBI Report (2009), the total crime incidents (violent crime, property crime and other non-traffic Criminal Code offences excluding impaired driving) per 100,000 in Niagara went down slightly from 5,478 in 2007 to 5, 271 in 2009. In 2009, it was equal to the provincial average of 5, 271.
The Total Crime Severity Index in Niagara at 76 was down from the 2 previous years and close to the provincial average. This figure identifies the crime severity index which takes into account not only the change in volume of a particular crime, but the seriousness of that crime in comparison to other crimes.
Source: OMBI 2009
Number of violent incidents: According to the OMBI reports, the reported number of violent, Criminal Code incidents per 1000,000 population in Niagara went down to 957 in 2009 and is in line with the provincial average. This category has been expanded to include criminal harassment, sexual offences against children, forcible confinement or kidnapping, extortion, uttering threats, threatening or harassing phone calls. Previously, these were reported as Other Criminal Code offences.
Violent Crime Severity Index (VCSI) … The VCSI for Niagara has not changed much from 2007 to 2009 (65 to 64) and it is well below theOntario average in 2009 of 80.Waterloo is much the same at 65. London at 61 and Halton at 28 are the only areas lower thanNiagara. All other areas are higher (i.e. Hamilton 104; Thunder Bay 139; Sudbury 94; Ottawa 80; Toronto 137).
Property crime rates in Niagara: Niagara’s property crime rates are above Ontario’s average and below Canada’s. However, the rates have declined from 2001 to 2009. The rate of thefts over $5,000 (non vehicle) fluctuate and are now even withOntario’s rates and belowCanada’s at 36.8 per 100,000. The theft over $5,000 rates (non-vehicle) have fluctuated up and down in recent years.
