1. Safety
Total Violent Criminal Code
Violations per 100,000 People

2. Significance
• A safer society has, all else equal, a higher level of well-
being.
• Violent crimes involve harm or threats of harm to people
and a low violent crime rate can significantly improve
the lives of a population.
• Understanding which communities have low violent
crime rates can help people to make informed decisions
about where to live.

3. Core Indicator
• The number of total violent criminal code violations per
100,000 people is used to measure the incidence of
violent crime.
• In Canada the incidence of violent crime decreased
14.5% from 2000 to 2011, an average of 1.7% per year
(see following chart).

4. Total Violent Criminal Code Violations
Per 100,000 People in Canada
1998-2011
1,550
1,500
1,450
1,400
1,350
1,300
1,250
1,200
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 252-0051 (UCR)

5. Decline in Violent Crime Rate
• The decline seen between 2000 and 2011 can be
examined in further detail by looking at specific
violations (see following chart).
• By far the largest decline occurred in abductions
(52%), followed by violent crime with firearms
(23%), and robberies (13.4%).
• In contrast, forced confinement (kidnapping) increased
by 55.6 %.

6. Percent Change in Violent Criminal Code
Violations per 100,000 people by detailed
Violations in Canada, 2000-2011
80.0
60.0
40.0
20.0
0.0
-20.0
-40.0
-60.0
Total abduction Total firearms; use Total violent Criminal Total robbery Homicide Total forcible
of, discharge, pointing Code violations confinement or
kidnapping
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 252-0051 (UCR)

7. Canada’s Major CMAs
• Among Canada’s largest census metropolitan areas
(CMAs), only St. John’s, Halifax, and Winnipeg had more
violent criminal code violations per 100,000 than the
Canadian average in 2011 (see following chart).
• Ottawa’s violent crime rate – the lowest among the
major CMAs in 2011 – was nearly half the Canadian
average.

8. Total Violent Criminal Code Violations per
100,000 people in Major CMAs, 2011
1,800
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000
800
600
400
200
0
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 252-0051 (UCR)

9. CMA Trends (2000 to 2011)
• Between 2000 and 2011, the violent crime rate actually
fell in all major CMAs except for
Edmonton, Québec, Kitchener, and St. John’s (see
following chart).
• St. John’s had by far the largest increase in violent
crime (26.6%), followed by Kitchener (6.7%).
• The violent crime rate shrunk the most in Victoria (down
33.6%), followed by Toronto (down 32.1%).

10. Percent Change in Total Violent Criminal
Code Violations per 100,000 People in Major
CMAs, 2000-2011
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
-10.0
-20.0
-30.0
-40.0
Source: Statistics Canada, CANSIM Table 252-0051 (UCR)