Alberta Crime Rates and Statistics (Updated)

Alberta has been grappling with fluctuating crime rates over the past few years. To better understand the severity and nature of these crimes, law enforcement agencies have been utilizing the Crime Severity Index (CSI), a measure that quantifies the seriousness of criminal offenses. This article aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the crime statistics in Alberta from 2019 to 2023, focusing on the CSI, violent crime rates, homicides, assaults, sexual assaults, and property-related crimes. By examining these trends, we can gain valuable insights into the challenges faced by the province and the effectiveness of crime prevention strategies.

Overview of Crime Statistics in Alberta

The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is a measure used by law enforcement agencies to quantify the severity of crime in each area. It assigns a weight to each criminal offense based on its seriousness, with more severe crimes having a higher weight. The CSI considers both the volume and the severity of crimes, providing a more comprehensive picture of the crime situation than traditional crime rates alone. This index helps authorities compare crime levels across different regions and track changes in crime severity over time, enabling them to allocate resources and develop targeted strategies for crime prevention and reduction.

Crime Severity Index Fluctuations in Alberta (2019-2023)

• 2019 to 2020: The Crime Severity Index decreased from 120.14 to 108.78, indicating a reduction in the severity of crimes committed during this period.
• 2020 to 2021: The index further declined from 108.78 to 101.55, suggesting a continued decrease in crime severity.
• 2021 to 2022: The Crime Severity Index experienced an increase from 101.55 to 105.22, indicating a slight uptick in the severity of crimes committed.
• 2022 to 2023: The index decreased once again, dropping from 105.22 to 103.00, signifying a modest improvement in crime severity.
• The fluctuations in the Crime Severity Index suggest that Alberta has experienced both improvements and challenges in crime severity over the past five years. The overall trend shows a decrease from 2019 to 2021, followed by a slight increase in 2022, and then another decrease in 2023. These changes in the index may reflect the effectiveness of law enforcement strategies, socio-economic factors, and other variables influencing crime patterns in the province.

Total Violent Criminal Code Violations in Alberta

• Violent Criminal Code offences include assault, harassment or uttering threats, sexual assault or other sexual offences, firearms, robbery, forcible confinement, kidnapping, attempted murder, and homicide.
• From 2019 to 2020, Total Violent Criminal Code Violations increased by 0.67%, from 63,706 to 64,135, indicating a slight rise in violent crime.
• Between 2020 and 2021, the number of violations grew by 4.98%, from 64,135 to 67,330, suggesting an accelerating trend in violent crime.
• The upward trend continued from 2021 to 2022, with a 4.62% increase, from 67,330 to 70,440 violations, further confirming the concerning rise in violent crime.
• From 2022 to 2023, Total Violent Criminal Code Violations surged by 6.07%, from 70,440 to 74,715, marking the highest year-over-year increase in the given data.
• The consistent year-over-year increases in Total Violent Criminal Code Violations in Alberta, ranging from 0.67% to 6.07%, highlight a worrying trend of rising violent crime in the province. This upward trajectory suggests the need for targeted interventions and strategies to address the underlying factors contributing to this trend and to ensure the safety and well-being of Albertans.

Homicides in Alberta: 2020 Spike Followed by Stabilization

• 2019 to 2020: Homicides increased from 100 to 141, a significant 41% rise in a single year.
• 2020 to 2021: Homicides decreased from 141 to 118, a notable 16.3% drop, partially offsetting the previous year’s surge.
• 2021 to 2022: Homicides remained relatively stable, with a slight increase from 118 to 119 (0.8%), suggesting a leveling-off after the 2020 spike.
• 2022 to 2023: Homicides decreased slightly from 119 to 115 (3.4%), indicating a potential continuation of the stabilizing trend observed in the previous year.
• The data reveals that homicides in Alberta experienced a substantial increase from 2019 to 2020, followed by a significant decrease in 2021. The subsequent years (2022 and 2023) show a stabilizing trend, with minor fluctuations. This suggests that while the spike in 2020 was concerning, the overall trend in recent years points towards a gradual stabilization of homicide rates in Alberta.

Assault (Level 1) Crime Rates in Alberta

• Incident-based crime statistics from Statistics Canada reveal important trends in assault cases across Alberta. Assault level 1 usually refers to charges laid under s. 266 of the Criminal Code of Canada that do not involve the use of weapons or bodily harm. Level 1 assaults can be both domestic intimate partner violence offences (IPV) or not. They are also sometimes referred to as simple or common assault charges.
• From 2019 to 2020, the number of actual incidents decreased from 24,752 to 23,279, indicating a temporary decline in Assault (Level 1) crimes.
• However, the trend reversed in 2021, with incidents increasing to 23,811, surpassing the 2020 figure but remaining lower than the 2019 level.
• The upward trend continued in 2022, with 25,645 reported incidents, exceeding the 2019 figure and signaling a concerning rise in Assault (Level 1) crimes.
• In 2023, the number of incidents further increased to 27,424, marking the highest point in the given data range and emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to address this growing issue.
• The data suggests that while there was a brief decline in Assault (Level 1) crimes from 2019 to 2020, the subsequent years have seen a consistent increase, with the most recent figures in 2023 reaching alarming levels. This upward trend highlights the importance of implementing effective strategies to prevent and combat Assault (Level 1) crimes in Alberta. 

Sexual Assault (Level 1) Rates

• Level 1 sexual assault indicates that the offender committed an assault that was sexual in nature, but though it compromised the sexual integrity of the victim, no physical injuries were inflicted.
• 2019 to 2020: Alberta saw a decrease from 3,870 to 3,516 incidents (-9.1%), indicating a reduction in Sexual Assault (Level 1) crimes during this period.
• 2020 to 2021: Sharp increase from 3,516 to 4,370 incidents (+24.3%), suggesting a significant surge in Sexual Assault (Level 1) crimes, possibly due to factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic or changes in reporting.
• 2021 to 2022: Slight decrease from 4,370 to 4,236 incidents (-3.1%), showing a minor improvement in the Sexual Assault (Level 1) crime rates.
• 2022 to 2023: Minimal change from 4,236 to 4,234 incidents (-0.05%), indicating a stabilization of Sexual Assault (Level 1) crime rates in the most recent years.
• The data reveals that Sexual Assault (Level 1) crime rates in Alberta have experienced notable fluctuations over the past five years, with a significant increase in 2021 followed by a slight decrease and stabilization in the subsequent years. This suggests that while there was a concerning spike in incidents, efforts to address and prevent these crimes may have had some impact in the most recent years.

Property Related Crimes

Breaking and Entering Offence Rates

• 2019 to 2020: The number of incidents decreased from 33,165 to 29,438, a 11.2% decline. This suggests a significant improvement in public safety during this period.
• 2020 to 2021: The number of incidents further decreased from 29,438 to 24,572, a 16.5% reduction. This indicates a continued positive trend in crime prevention efforts.
• 2021 to 2022: The number of incidents increased from 24,572 to 27,309, an 11.1% rise. This uptick in incidents may raise concerns about the effectiveness of current security measures.
• 2022 to 2023: The number of incidents decreased from 27,309 to 25,217, a 7.7% decline. While this decrease is encouraging, the number of incidents remains higher than the 2021 figure, suggesting that ongoing efforts are needed to maintain public safety.
• In summary, the Breaking and Entering Incident Rates in Alberta have shown an overall decreasing trend from 2019 to 2023, despite a brief increase in 2022. This suggests that the strategies and measures implemented to combat this type of crime have been largely successful, although there is still room for improvement to maintain and further reduce the incident rates in the future.

Theft Of $5,000 Or Under (Not from a Motor Vehicle) Rates

• From 2019 to 2020, the number of incidents decreased by 21.6%, from 104,151 to 81,624, indicating a significant drop in theft rates during this period.
• The downward trend continued from 2020 to 2021, with a further decrease of 13.1%, from 81,624 to 70,971 incidents, suggesting a sustained reduction in theft rates.
• However, from 2021 to 2022, there was a notable increase of 17.6%, with the number of incidents rising from 70,971 to 83,498, indicating a resurgence in theft rates during this time.
• Lastly, from 2022 to 2023, the number of incidents decreased again by 8.9%, from 83,498 to 76,075, suggesting a slight improvement in the theft situation.
• The data reveals that Theft Of $5,000 Or Under (Not from a Motor Vehicle) Rates in Alberta have experienced significant fluctuations over the past five years. While there was a consistent decrease in theft rates from 2019 to 2021, the year 2022 saw a substantial increase, followed by a moderate decrease in 2023.

Theft Over $5,000 (Not from a Motor Vehicle) Rates

• 2019 to 2020: Incidents decreased from 4,566 to 4,144, a 9.2% reduction. This suggests a decline in high-value theft during this period.
• 2020 to 2021: Incidents further decreased from 4,144 to 3,962, a 4.4% reduction. The continued decrease indicates a sustained improvement in curbing high-value theft.
• 2021 to 2022: Incidents increased significantly from 3,962 to 4,841, a 22.2% surge. This sharp rise suggests a resurgence in high-value theft, possibly due to changes in socioeconomic factors or law enforcement strategies.
• 2022 to 2023: Incidents slightly decreased from 4,841 to 4,790, a 1.1% reduction. While the decrease is modest, it may indicate a stabilization in high-value theft rates following the previous year’s surge.
• The data reveals that Theft over $5,000 (Not from a Motor Vehicle) Rates in Alberta have experienced notable fluctuations between 2019 and 2023. The overall trend shows a significant decrease from 2019 to 2021, followed by a sharp increase in 2022 and a slight decrease in 2023. These changes suggest that various factors, such as economic conditions, law enforcement efforts, and social influences, may have played a role in shaping the rates of high-value theft in Alberta during this period.

Analysis

The crime statistics in Alberta from 2019 to 2023 paint a complex picture of the province’s public safety landscape. While the Crime Severity Index has shown an overall decreasing trend, suggesting a reduction in the severity of crimes, the total number of violent criminal code violations has been on the rise. Homicide rates experienced a significant spike in 2020 but have since stabilized. Assault and sexual assault rates have fluctuated, with recent years showing a concerning upward trend. Property-related crimes, such as breaking and entering and theft, have seen both decreases and increases over the years, indicating the need for continued efforts in crime prevention and public safety measures.

To address these challenges, law enforcement agencies, policymakers, and community leaders must work together to develop targeted strategies that tackle the root causes of crime. This may include investing in social programs, education, and mental health support to prevent criminal behavior, as well as strengthening law enforcement resources and community partnerships to improve public safety. By analyzing and understanding these crime trends, Alberta can work towards creating a safer and more secure environment for its residents. 

Source

• https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3510018001&pickMembers%5B0%5D=1.1&pickMembers%5B1%5D=2.3&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=2019&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=2023&referencePeriods=20190101%2C20230101