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Violent crime in Delta up, overall crime severity index holds steady

Delta still one of the safest in Metro Vancouver according to Statistics Canada data
17802342_web1_180808-NDR-M-Delta-Police-Edit-PC-at-night-with-lights
(Delta Police Department photo)

The overall severity of crime in Delta held steady in 2018 compared to the year previous despite a 30 per cent jump in violent incidents in the city.

According to data released by Statistics Canada, Delta’s overall Crime Severity Index (CSI) was 52.68 points in 2018, compared to 52.78 in 2017.

The CSI is a national measure of police-reported crime. Unlike the traditional crime rate, which only counts the number of crimes in a jurisdiction, the CSI is a comprehensive measure that takes into account the seriousness of crime — a higher score indicates a greater number and/or greater severity of crimes, and a low CSI rate generally indicates that a community is relatively safe.

Delta’s index score was about 35 points lower than the provincial average of 87.67. The city’s CSI was also among the lowest in the Lower Mainland, with only Port Moody and the District of North Vancouver scoring lower (35.89 and 43.81, respectively).

The national CSI increased for a fifth straight year in 2018 to sit at 75.01.

RELATED: Sexual assaults, extortion on the rise even as crime rates stay low: Stats Canada

While Delta’s non-violent CSI saw a 4.42 per cent decrease — a press release notes the Delta Police Department has implemented a system that directs police towards problem areas in the city, resulting in a decrease in property crime — the city’s violent CSI increased by 29.46 per cent.

According to a DPD press release, violent crime has trended upwards across Metro Vancouver, including in Delta, and the increase is associated to crimes between persons known to each other. These include domestic and family assaults, as well as assaults against associates and co-workers.

The release notes that both stranger assaults and gang-related violence remain minimal in Delta.

“The city of Delta has experienced consistent declines in CSI rates over the past decade. The 2018 increase in violent crime is a concern, and while we work to prevent crime, there is also an element of education, social support and community engagement required by us to reduce instances of violent victimization in our community,” Cris Leykauf, public affairs manager for the Delta Police Department, said in a press release.

“Of particular focus for us is vulnerable populations, including isolated seniors, at-risk youth and those suffering from mental illness and addiction. By supporting those who may be at increased risk, we hope to reduce instances of violent crime. And while we work on initiatives to reduce risk in our community we will continue in our efforts to keep non-violent property crime low.”

— with files from Grace Kennedy

Read more about Delta’s past Crime Severity Index numbers:

Delta’s crime rate down for third straight year (2018)

Property crime up, but crime severity going down in Delta (2017)



editor@northdeltareporter.com

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James Smith

About the Author: James Smith

James Smith is the founding editor of the North Delta Reporter.
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