Crime remains higher in rural areas than in the city, according to Statistics Canada

Crime rates in the rural communities of Canada are systematically higher than in urban centers, according to a new statistical Canada report – a long -standing trend which, according to a criminologist, is not surprising.

The report, published this week, reveals that the crime rate reported by the police in rural areas is 34 % higher than that of urban areas. This disparity is particularly marked in the meadows and rural regions of British Columbia.

It doesn’t surprise me declares Doug King, criminologist at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

In 2023, the crime rate in rural areas of Saskatchewan was 68 % higher than in its urban centers. In Manitoba, it was 65 %higher, and in Alberta, 54 %, according to the report.

Violent crime increases in rural north

Violent crime rates were also the highest in rural communities in the northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, reaching levels twice as high as in rural south.

Doug King calls not to dramatize these differences between rural and urban environments, stressing that crimes can also spread from cities to countryside.

For example, theft of goods in rural properties located outside cities is often perpetrated by individuals from urban centers.

It is easier to attack people in rural areas because there are fewer witnesses. The police take a long time to respond, so we must also take into account these demographic realities.

Doug King also recommends taking a step back by analyzing crime rates in small cities, because only one incident can highlight statistics strongly due to the low population.

Problematic intervention times

Tim Brodt, president of the Saskatchewan Rural Crime Watch Associationunderlines that the distant localities suffer from important intervention times from police services.

Residing in Zehner, 25 km north of Regina, he indicates that his community still benefits from the proximity of urban police resources.

Some complain that the police only give tickets. But it is one of their missions. If there is an emergency, they intervene, right?

The report indicates that not all rural communities are affected in the same way: approximately a third live in areas with low crime, another third in areas with high crime, and around 40 % in areas at the moderate rate.

A perceived crime, but also a change of mentality

The report shows that violent crime is more frequent in rural areas, except for qualified flights, the rates of which are 3.5 times higher in urban areas.

Mr. Brodt, involved in rural community surveillance since the 1980s, observed a change in perception in residents.

Before, we left the doors open, the keys in cars … Many still have this mentality, but they discover that we can no longer afford it.

Tim Brodt is campaigning for strengthening community surveillance networks, especially in agricultural areas.

He is currently hosting a 120 -people discussion group, which became essential during a series of burglary a few years ago.

Social isolation and social networks: amplifying factors

According to Doug King, some fears can be founded, especially for vulnerable groups, but social isolation and the influence of social networks contribute to amplifying general anxiety in the face of crime.

All this reflects the world in change in which we live … It is the idea that individuals and families are more and more isolated from each otherconcludes Doug King.

With Canadian press information