Crime Drops In 2019 Compared To 2018 - Five Year Comparison Shows An Increase

It may be hard for some people to believe but if you thought the reported crime rate was up in 2019 compared to 2018 you would be wrong. But over the past five years the amount of crime in Moose Jaw is up.

But so too is the weighted crime clearance rate meaning those committing criminal offences are more likely to get caught in 2019 versus 2015.

In figures released by Statistics Canada the amount of crime reported to the Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS), according to the 2019 Crime Severity Index, dropped by 9.1 percent in 2019.

Despite the year over year decrease overall the Crime Severity Index is higher in 2019 than the base year of 2015.

In 2015 the overall Crime Severity Index was 99.4 whereas in 2019 it measured 110.35. The rate in 2018 was 121.4 compared to 110.35 in 2019.

The Crime Severity Index is a weighted average where crime is given a value according to its severity.

At the recent meeting of Moose Jaw Board of Police Commissioners Chief Rick Bourassa said the weighted average is more accurate because it does not count the same value for crimes such as murder or assault the same as minor offences.

The largest percentage drop between 2018 and 2019 was the violent crime severity index which dropped 11.39 percent. The rate was 100.64 in 2018 whereas the rate in 2019 was 89.18

Despite the drop when compared to the base year of 2015 the Crime Severity Index for violent crime has increased from 69.03 to 89.18.

For non-violent crimes the percentage drop in 2019 was 8.45 percent versus 2018’s reported Crime Severity Index rate.

The Crime Severity Index in 2018 was 128.58 in 2018 versus 117.71 in 2019.

When compared to the base year of 2015 the non-violent Crime Severity Index grew from 110.25 to 117.71 in 2019.

Crome Severity Index 2015- 2019 SOURCE - Statistics Canada

In the area of weighted cleared crimes reported to the MJPS the statistics show an increase in the number of Criminal Code cases solved by the police in 2019 versus 2018.

The figures also show an increase in the weighted cleared crimes over the period of 2015 to 2019.

Weighted Cleared Crimes from 2015 to 2019 by the Moose Jaw Police Service

In 2019 the weighted clearnce rate shows a percentage increase of 8.09 versus 2018. The increase went from 42.14 in 2018 to 45.55 in 2019. This was due to the increased number of non-violent crime cleared by the MJPS.

In 2015 the weighted clearance rate was 37.07 whereas in 2019 it was 45.55.

In the area of violent crime the weighted clearance rate actually showed a drop of 4.92 perecent when compared to 208. In 2018 the weighted average was 79.61 where as in 2019 it dropped to 75.69.

From 2015 to 2019 the weighted clearance rate increased from 60.45 to 75.69.

In the area of non-violent crime though the weighted clearance rate had the largest percentage increase of 18.2 percent. The increase of weighted cases cleared went from 31.59 to 37.34.

From 2015 to 2019 the weighted clearance rate for non-violent crime went from 31.74 to 37.34.