Overall number of criminal offences is down in both long- and short-term but stats on drug offences are on the rise

The Tri-Cities may not have become a cheaper place to live in the last few years but it has become safer.

At least, that’s the message from the latest B.C. regional crime statistics report for 2007 from the Ministry of Public Safety, the police services division and the solicitor general. According to the report, the number of criminal code offences in the Lower Mainland, and in the Tri-Cities specifically, were recorded at their lowest numbers since at least 1998, with an overall 10% decrease from 2006 numbers.

Across the board, Lower Mainland crime reports were down from last year in ever major category, with the exception of drug crimes, which were up 19% from 12,054 to 14,397 in 2006. Some numbers:

• Violent crimes decreased by 5%, from 23,726 to 22,593.

• Common assaults decreased by 11%, from 13,040 to 11,638.

• Property crimes decreased by 9%, from 128,035 to 116,546.

• Motor vehicle thefts decreased by 11%, from the 16,203 to 14,408.

• And other crimes decreased by 14%, from 80,786 to 69,658.

Combining these numbers with a population increase of slightly more than 1% since 2006, and by 13% over the last decade, the crime rate dropped from 122 offences for every 1,000 people in 1998 to 93:1,000 in 2007 (the report noted that drug offences are not included in the calculations of crime rates).

Coquitlam, with a population of 120,537, had a crime rate last year of 80:1,000, down from 100:1,000 in ’98 and 94:1,000 in ’06. Like the Lower Mainland numbers, crime was down in Coquitlam in every category except drug offences, which were up from 368 to 567 since 2006, and more than doubled since 1998.

The same trends were also recorded in Port Coquitlam, with every category of crime, except drug offences, dropping in both the short and long term.

With a population of 55,740, the crime rate dropped to 89:1,000 from 107:1,000 in 2006. poCo drug offences climbed slightly from 207 to 222 in 2006; there were only 104 drug crimes reported in 1998.

Port Moody, with a population of 30,004, had the lowest crime rate at 52:1,000, down from 65:1,000 in 2006 and from 85:1,000 in 1998. Recording an increase from 2006 in drug crime by an additional three offences, PoMo was the only Tri-City municipality to record a slight increase in violent crimes, from 149 to 150 recorded offences.

The crime data contained in the report was recorded by police on the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, using scoring rules which only record the most serious crime when a number of violations of the law have occurred in a single incident.

The number of offences in the report represent only the crimes deemed by police, upon preliminary investigation, to have occurred (or been attempted) and do not represent the number of charges laid, prosecutions conducted, informations sworn or convictions obtained.

bwalkinshaw@tricitynews.com