Media Release

May 26, 2006, The Vancouver Board of Trade

Property and violent crime rates higher than U.S. and Vancouver number one for property crime, says Toews

Vancouver Board of Trade presents "true" picture of crime in Canada  

Toews speaks to media at The Board's event today

The Conservative government is going to get even tougher on crime now that both violent crime and property crime rates are higher in Canada than the U.S., Federal Justice Minister and Attorney General of Canada, Vic Toews, assured The Vancouver Board of Trade today, Friday, May 26 at The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

"And I compliment The Vancouver Board of Trade for the work they have done in respect of bringing the truth out in respect of the statistics," Toews said at the luncheon sponsored by The Justice Institute of BC.

"No-one will believe us when we say that Canada has a much higher property crime rate and violent crime rate than the United States of America. And yet we know, for example, that Vancouver is number one for property crime rate in Canada and the United States," he said.

Board of Trade executives had a private meeting with Toews before the public speech when they handed over a letter calling for Criminal Victimization Surveys, currently carried out by Statistics Canada every five years, to be conducted annually.

The Board has long argued these victimization surveys give a more accurate picture of crime rates compared to current annual reports of crimes reported to police. "Statistics Canada — in its most recent report on the subject — stated that only one-third of crimes are reported. Wrong data leads to the wrong conclusions," Board senior vice chair Frank Borowicz, Q.C., explained while introducing the minister at the event.

"A better guage of actual crime rates is the Criminal Victimization Surveys undertaken by Statistics Canada, the U.S. Justice Department and the United Nations. These show we have a serious problem. This year alone, one Canadian in four will be a victim of crime — one in 10 will be a victim of violent crime."

The Board has consistently pointed out that although the homicide rate is indeed higher in the U.S., murders make up only a small percent of overall violent crime — less than 0.1 per cent of all criminal code offences.

In the letter given to the minister, The Board outlines how the United Nations International Crime Victims Survey of 17 industrialized countries in 2000 places Canada in the "high risk" group for violent-contact crimes — worse than the U.S., where the violent crime rate has dropped significantly since 1999.

The Board has consistently called for a balanced approach to reducing crime, which includes both social programs, more police officers and more appropriate sentences for dangerous and repeat offenders.

"Our government has heard a clear message from Canadians about violent crime... they are fed up from watching their local evening news provide a steady stream of gun violence and criminal misconduct. They want us to crack down," Toews told his audience. "Our government will respond to the concerns of police, prosecutors and most importantly, ordinary Canadians... safe streets are no longer a given."

Toews said recent legislation would result in a "more cautious" use of house arrest, never intended for serious offenders when it was first introduced in 1996. New, tougher sentences for crimes involving firearms will be aimed at dealing with repeat offenders. "Getting tough on guns and violent crime sends a message," he said. "We believe in a safe society, not sending them back into the community to commit more crimes."

He said the government will also be working on new shared programs with municipalities "to put more police officers on the beat."

"More police on the street leads to safer communities and I have long put that forward," said Toews, citing New York’s murder rate, which is currently lower than in 1963 and has fallen from 2,200 murders a year to just 550 in just a few years. "Because tough-on-crime policies work," Toews added. "This approach works and not only for Americans, but for Canadians too."

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