Out of 41 locations in the country Saskatoon is tied for seventh in the top 10 census metropolitan areas in Canada with the highest Crime Severity Indexes for 2024. Saskatoon and Nanaimo, BC came in at 106.7. Chilliwack, BC had the highest CSI at 141.7 Regina rounded out the top 10 at 100.3. Nationally the overall Crime Severity Index is 77.9. This is according to Tuesday’s release of Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2024.
At 153.9 Saskatchewan has fourth highest total crime severity index behind Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Saskatchewan saw a 23 per cent increase in the Total Crime Severity Index between 2014 and 2024 but saw a 5 per cent decrease compared to 2023.
Overview
After three consecutive years of increases, the volume and severity of police-reported crime in Canada, as measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI), decreased 4 per cent in 2024. This was the second decrease in a decade, with the other decline coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The information is contained the latest data released Tuesday by Statistics Canada.
Non-violent crime had a significant impact on the decline in the overall CSI in 2024. The Non-violent CSI-which includes, for example, property offences and drug offences-declined 6 per cent in 2024.
The five offences that contributed the most to the decline in the overall CSI in 2024 were non-violent and accounted for three-quarters of the overall decrease.
In order of impact on the Crime Severity Index police-reported rates of breaking and entering dropped 11 per cent of the rate per 100,000 population, child pornography decreased 15 per cent, motor vehicle theft was down 17 per cent, theft of $5,000 or under dropped 9 per cent and mischief decreased 6 per cent year over year.
The Violent Crime Severity Index decreased 1 per cent in 2024 after having risen for three consecutive years. The Violent CSI recorded lower rates for level one sexual assault (-3 per cent), extortion (-10 per cent), robbery (-2 per cent), attempted murder (-12 per cent) and aggravated assault (-8 per cent).
Homicide Rate
Saskatoon tied with Fredericton for the fourth highest homicide rate per 100,000 population in 2024 at 3.75. Thunder Bay had the most at 6.08, Winnipeg was next at 4.66 followed by Chilliwack at 4.75 and rounding out the top five was St. Catherines at 2.78. That’s the latest data released by Statistics Canada Tuesday.
There were 28 more women homicide victims in 2024 than in 2023, and 34 fewer men. There was also a large increase in the proportion of women who were killed by a spouse or intimate partner, increasing from 32 per cent of women victims in 2023 to 42 per cent of women victims in 2024.
Despite the overall decline in homicides, police reported 225 Indigenous homicide victims in 2024, 29 more than in 2023. In 2024, the homicide rate for Indigenous people was approximately eight times higher than the rate among the non-Indigenous population.
Prince Albert
After reviewing the Crime Severity Index data released today by Statistics Canada the Prince Albert Police Service says the CSI for the City of Prince Albert has decreased nearly 20 per cent over the previous year.
The police also say violent crime decreased 18 per cent while non-violent crime in the city decreased nearly 21 per cent.
While Prince Albert’s Crime Severity Index saw one of the largest decreases in the province, the overall CSI for Saskatchewan was also down five per cent while violent crime is down three per cent and non-violent crime is down six per cent.
Non-Violent Crime
According to Statistics Canada’s latest data in their Crime Severity Index report, the rates of breaking and entering and motor vehicle theft declined in 2024, while rate of shoplifting went up.
The rate of breaking and entering declined 11 per cent from the previous year. Despite the decline, breaking and entering accounted for 13 per cent of the overall CSI, the most of any violation.
Overall, the rate of breaking and entering in 2024 was almost one-third (-32 per cent) lower than a decade ago and 75 per cent lower than its peak in 1998, the first year with comparable data.
Motor vehicle theft is down, following three consecutive years of increases. In 2024, the rate of motor vehicle theft declined by 17 per cent from the year prior which reversed a three-year increase of 40 per cent from the historic low recorded at the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
StatsCan says a rise in shoplifting of $5,000 or under had the largest offsetting contribution to the change in the CSI in 2024. Statistics Canada notes that while shoplifting may be considered a relatively minor offence, it may result in considerable financial loss for businesses. StatsCan suggests online reporting of shoplifting may also contribute to an increase in police-reported incidents.
The number of police reported incidents of shoplifting increased 14 per cent year over year and the rate of shoplifting has increased for four years in a row.
Hate Crimes
Nationally there is an 8 per cent increase in police reported hate crimes due to race or ethnicity with black Canadians seeing the highest number of hate crimes.
That data was released today by Statistics Canada in their report Police reported crime statistics in Canada, 2024.
Meanwhile the number of reported religious based hate crimes increased slightly by 1 per cent. Within that category those who are Jewish reported the greatest number of hate crimes in 2024, but it was still a four per cent decrease from the year before. And those reporting hate crimes due to sexual orientation saw a 26 per cent decrease year over year.
