Vancouver crime among worst in North America

[SpongeG]

Vancouver crime among worst in North America

Last Updated: Thursday, December 16, 2010 | 4:44 PM PT Comments3Recommend6
CBC News

A new report says that although the number of crimes in B.C. has fallen sharply over the past decade, Vancouver still has one of the highest crime rates on the continent.

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Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...#ixzz18KNSVEIk

[delboy]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Vancouver crime among worst in North America

Last Updated: Thursday, December 16, 2010 | 4:44 PM PT Comments3Recommend6
CBC News

A new report says that although the number of crimes in B.C. has fallen sharply over the past decade, Vancouver still has one of the highest crime rates on the continent.

...

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...#ixzz18KNSVEIk

your car may be safer in New York, but you are 3 times more likely to be murdered. Murder rate for Vancouver is around 2.1 vs 6.3 in the Big Apple.

Not like it's news that the property rate is high here. Hardly surprising when you house all the lower end of society in the city's core.

[Zassk]

There's a big difference between petty crime, property crime, and violent crime.

[Yume-sama]

I'm worried more about violent crime than someone stealing my Honda Civic and chopping it up.

Violent crime is pretty much a non-issue compared to most places in North America (USA, Mexico )

I can have car insurance but life insurance only works if you die

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Zassk

There's a big difference between petty crime, property crime, and violent crime.

If you exclude the gang violence, a lot of the above three seem to be perpetrated by junkies looking for quick cash. With the violent part (ie. purse snatchings) directed towards seniors who I guess they see as an easy mark.

[trofirhen]

I'd be curious how we stack up against Seattle - probably the US city most comparable to Vancouver; if not, then Portland ORE - for crime. Of course, the "profile" would be different, but despite its wealth, Seattle has pockets of poverty, too. A comparison would be interesting.

[elcorrentino]

What?? Vancouver an unsafe city? more insecure than American cities

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by trofirhen

I'd be curious how we stack up against Seattle - probably the US city most comparable to Vancouver; if not, then Portland ORE - for crime. Of course, the "profile" would be different, but despite its wealth, Seattle has pockets of poverty, too. A comparison would be interesting.

The only quick cite I found is that Vancouver's break-in rate is 3x Seattle's.
http://askville.amazon.com/crime-rat...estId=26398855

[dleung]

Originally Posted by delboy

your car may be safer in New York, but you are 3 times more likely to be murdered

Originally Posted by Yume-sama

I'm worried more about violent crime than someone stealing my Honda Civic and chopping it up.

Unless you're involved with crime (or know someone), or fighting a bitter custody dispute, you have a better chance of getting hit by lightning than getting murdered in either city. So compared to that, I'm worried more about getting my car jacked in Vancouver. Of course, I'm ultimately more worried about getting run over by one of our asian drivers...

[delboy]

Originally Posted by dleung

Unless you're involved with crime (or know someone), or fighting a bitter custody dispute, you have a better chance of getting hit by lightning than getting murdered in either city. So compared to that, I'm worried more about getting my car jacked in Vancouver. Of course, I'm ultimately more worried about getting run over by one of our asian drivers...

car jacked is not a property crime it's called robbery. My car was parked on the streets off broadway, in the westend and kits for 17 years. Broke into twice, once when I left the window down, hardly cause for major concern. Articles such as these are spun as fear mongering and there are no real links between property offences and violent crime. Purse snatchings are relatively rare are not counted as thefts, they are robberies (theft with violence or threat of violence)

[delboy]

Originally Posted by whatnext

The only quick cite I found is that Vancouver's break-in rate is 3x Seattle's.
http://askville.amazon.com/crime-rat...estId=26398855

hardly a reputable source, and one thing often overlooked is what the legal elements are of criminal offences in different countries. For instance in Canada reaching in through an open window is a b n e, in other places it may be a simple theft, no property stolen may be a mischief to property vs a b ne. Rape for instance in Canada is often over-represented as there is no such offence, only sexual assault which ranges from grabbing someone in a sexual manner right up to a rape. We are not able to distinguish one from the other as far as convictions go, since a sexual assault conviction can mean many things and results in Canada looking as though rape here is more common, which is not the case at all. I used to work sex crimes so I'm very in touch with this issue in Canada.

Not suggesting that property offences here are not bad, but stats are highly misleading, especially when comparing different legal systems and interpretation of the law. Crime is always constant, what is not is reporting of crime and how various departments assign legal descriptions. Was it an attempted murder or assault with a weapon for example?

here are stat sheet for each department:

http://vancouver.ca/police/Planning/...0082009YTD.pdf

http://www.seattle.gov/police/crime/

6700 b n e in seattle vs 5500 in Vancouver - murders are 29 and 17 so much the same again. as i noted reporting etc will influence the figures.

Pretty good comparisons as both forces are similar in size and police cities the same size, both are muncipal city forces. I was suprised to find crime is worse in seattle on all fronts (at least as far as reported crime goes).

[Yume-sama]

I'd like to see *any* major American city that is lower per capita, so Seattle does not surprise me.

[dleung]

Originally Posted by delboy

car jacked is not a property crime

I mean "jacked" as in stolen, not "carjacked"

[delboy]

Originally Posted by dleung

I mean "jacked" as in stolen, not "carjacked"

oh I see, police lingo jacked means car jacked....carry on

[delboy]

Both seattle and Vancouver have similar homeless issuess too. Pinning down accurate numbers is difficult but official figures, for what they are worth, put about 2800 in Seattle proper and a staggering 8000 to 10 000 for the region, while Vancouver is under 2000 in the city proper .. couldnt find figures for the region;

Hardly surprising that cities who have transient populations have higher property crime, I imagine both Toronto and New York have fewer people on the streets in the winter months than summer which would impact crime stats i lived in Miami for a while which has a terrible homeless problem. I also remember feeling very unsafe there

I also imagine that there are fewer cars per capita in New York vs Vancouver??

edit:

found some stats from 08 which put greater van at a total of 2500 and 1500 for the city although it seems that data collection is hardly a science and very hit and miss


http://www.metrovancouver.org/planni...ryFS-April.pdf

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by delboy

...Pretty good comparisons as both forces are similar in size and police cities the same size, both are muncipal city forces. I was suprised to find crime is worse in seattle on all fronts (at least as far as reported crime goes).

Interesting. Do you know if Seattle has a similar problem with gangs as Vancouver?

[delboy]

Originally Posted by whatnext

Interesting. Do you know if Seattle has a similar problem with gangs as Vancouver?

Everywhere does, but Vancouver's gangs are not typical of street gangs in North America where they tend to be territorial and will use violence to assert control of an area often recruting younger teens who embody a gang ideology. Our gangs are simply a consequence of the drug trade and are motivated by money and in turn, control of the drug trade and are not kids killing kids for the hell of it. Not to down play the gang issues here, but assuming you are not aligned with them, they shouldn't represent any real danger to oridnary joes, other than getting caught in gun play such as the one in vancouver last week. I know which I would prefer.

We modeled our gang suppression teams on the Seattle Model with highly visible overt policing keeping pressure on gang members and working with local bars and restaurants to exclude them. This tends to be the foucus of police suppresion here as gangs have not asserted any geographical control (other than drug areas).

Gang cops get to know very quickly who the members are and share the intel with other law enforcement.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-QSr5POQq0