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Crime severity index shows overall decrease in Powell River

Community is safe to live in, says RCMP sergeant
Powell River

A recent national ranking shows Powell River to be one of Canada’s least dangerous cities to live in.

Based on calculations from Statistics Canada over a five-year period from 2012 to 2017, Powell River had a decrease in the crime severity index (CSI) by 8.38 points.

The city’s CSI is 70, virtually equal to the national rate, and 151st in the survey of 237 communities across the country, according to the most recent rankings done by Maclean’s magazine.

“The rankings reinforce that crime in the city of Powell River decreased overall during the time period,” said RCMP sergeant Kevin Day. “Powell River is a safe community to live in, and not immune to much of the crime that other cities of the same size and demographic experience.”

Among comparable communities such as Courtenay, Comox, Port Alberni and Campbell River, Powell River is the only place where the CSI went down.

Across Canada, one statistic stands out among all police-reported crime, including both the volume and seriousness of offences: an increase in sexual assault.

There were eight actual incidents of sexual assault in Powell River during the five-year study period. According to Powell River RCMP, there have been 15 sexual assaults investigated so far in 2018.

Statistics Canada attributes the increase here and across the country to the attention given to the #MeToo movement.

The sexual assault rate here is 61.77, which is five points higher than the national average of 56.56. The rating is based on incidents per 100,000 population and the report uses 12,952 as the population of Powell River.

Sexual assault, robbery, drug offences and youth crime offences are up.

Powell River’s youth crime rating is 30.88 for a ranking of 35 in that category, which has a national average of 16.74.

Drug offences, including controlled drugs such as cocaine, opioids and methamphetamine trafficking and production is at 54, twice the national CSI and 27th in the category.

This year to-date, Powell River RCMP report there have been:

5082 total calls for service; 332 thefts, including theft, shoplifting, theft of vehicle and theft from vehicle; 114 assaults plus 15 sexual assaults; 66 impaired driving charges, 173 mischief calls; and 69 break and enters.