Canada 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Calgary This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office at the U.S. Consulate in Calgary, Canada. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Northwest Territories. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Canada country page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses Canada at Level 1, indicating travelers should exercise normal precautions. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Calgary as being a LOW-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Calgary continues to have a relatively low crime rate, when compared to similar-sized cities (pop: 1.3 million) in the United States, but there has been an increase over the past year in property crimes and violent crimes. Through 2019, Calgary continued to see a high volume of drug activity relating to fentanyl and methamphetamines, with most property crimes, homicides, and gang violence related to these drug activities. Hate crimes declined in 2019, but continue to take place at a higher rate in Calgary relative to other Canadian cities, according to Calgary Police Service’s (CPS) dedicated hate crimes unit. Domestic violence has also declined but is still a problem. CPS attributes these problems to the continued economic downturn in Alberta and the corresponding rise in unemployment. CPS identified opioids, inner-city crime, and shootings as top priorities for 2020, and is deploying resources to address these issues. For the average resident or visitor, Calgary and the entire consular district continues to be safe. Law enforcement support, both CPS and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), is very strong. Review OSAC’s report, All That You Should Leave Behind. The overwhelming numbers of crimes in Calgary continue to target property (e.g. vehicles and residences), but there also has been an increase in gang- and drug-related crime. There were 20 confirmed homicides in Calgary in 2019, and 5 deaths and multiple shootings in the first two weeks of 2020. Crime across all of Canada, as measured by both the crime rate and the Crime Severity Index (CSI), increased for the fourth consecutive year in 2018. (Nationwide 2019 statistics are not yet available.) The CSI measures the volume and severity of police-reported crime in Canada and has a base index value of 100 for the year 2006. The change in the CSI in 2018 was the result of higher police-reported rates of numerous offenses. Ordered by their relative impact on the CSI, these offenses include fraud (+13%); sexual assault without a weapon or evidence of bodily harm (+15%); shoplifting of $5,000 or under (+14%); and theft over $5,000 (+15%). Decreases in other offenses (e.g. breaking and entering down 1%, and robbery down 3%) partially offset these increases. Canada 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Calgary Police reported more than two million Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic offences) in 2018, almost 70,000 more than in 2017. At 5,488 incidents per 100,000 population, the rate of crime reported to police increased 2% in 2018, but was 17% lower than in 2008. It is important to note that the police-reported crime rate and the CSI include only those incidents that come to the attention of police, either through reporting by the public or through pro-active policing. Results from the most recent General Social Survey on Victimization found that victims reported just under one-third (31%) of violent and non-violent incidents. The CSI increased in two-thirds of Canada's largest cities (census metropolitan areas [CMAs]) in 2018, with the largest increases in Windsor, Ontario (+21%); Moncton, New Brunswick (+15%); and St. Catharines– Niagara, Ontario (+15%). Breaking and entering was an important contributor to the increases in Windsor and St. Catharines–Niagara, while fraud was an important contributor to the increases in Moncton and Windsor. After increasing in 2017, Canada's homicide rate declined 4% in 2018, from 1.82 to 1.76 homicides per 100,000 population. Police reported 651 homicides in Canada in 2018, 15 fewer than the previous year. Despite the decline, the homicide rate was higher than the Canadian average over the previous decade. Visitors to large cities and popular tourist destinations should be aware that criminals regularly target parked cars for opportunistic smash-and-grab thefts. Avoid leaving any unattended possessions in a vehicle, even in the trunk. Due to the high incidence of such crimes, motorists in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and other jurisdictions can receive fines for leaving their car doors unlocked or for leaving valuables in view. Exercise precaution to safeguard property. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. Review OSAC’s reports, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. Cybersecurity Issues Cybersecurity and internet-related crime issues are like those identified in the U.S. Travelers to Canada should continue to practice smart internet use and guard all financial transactions. Canada’s National Cyber Security Strategy, released in 2018, recognizes that robust cyber security is an essential element of Canadian innovation and prosperity. The Strategy is adaptable and to account for a continuously changing cyber landscape, introduces a new strategic direction, and defines goals to achieve its vision of security and prosperity in the digital age. Canada distributes cyber security operational capabilities across different departments and agencies. Though measures are in place to ensure good communication and coordination, ambiguity concerning roles and responsibilities and the inherent difficulty in coordinating multiple decision makers is a problematic. The new Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (the Cyber Centre) within the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) will address this gap as a single, unified team of government cyber security technical experts that will be the definitive source of unique technical advice, guidance, services, messaging and support on cyber security operational matters for government, critical infrastructure Canada 2020 Crime & Safety Report: Calgary owners and operations, the private sector, and the Canadian public. The Centre will also provide cyber security expertise to support lead agencies in the delivery of their core functions, including collaborating with the RCMP’s NC3 and its law enforcement efforts to address cybercrime. The RCMP will establish the National Cybercrime Coordination Unit (NC3 Unit) to coordinate Canadian police operations against cybercriminals and to establish a national mechanism for Canadians and businesses to report cybercrimes to police. Additionally, the RCMP will also enhance its operational capacity (e.g. investigations, intelligence, specialized technical investigative services, international presence, and specialized cyber expertise) to take federal enforcement action against priority domestic and international cybercrime activity. Review OSAC’s reports, Cybersecurity Basics, Best Practices for Maximizing Security on Public Wi-Fi, Traveling with Mobile Devices: Trends & Best Practices, and Satellite Phones: Critical or Contraband? Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Alberta’s road infrastructure remains good, with streets and highways similar to comparable cities in the U.S. Drivers face no unusual hazards. Calgary has strict anti-jaywalking regulations and corresponding fines, making road accidents involving pedestrians less common than in other Canadian cities. All provinces except Ontario require drivers to keep their vehicle’s headlights on during the day. All ten provinces have some form of cell phone/distracted driving legislation in place. Motorcycles cannot share a lane, and safety helmets for motorcycle riders and passengers are mandatory. Running a red light is a serious concern throughout Canada. Pause before proceeding when a light turns green. It is illegal to take automobile radar detectors into Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, the Yukon, or the Northwest Territories, regardless of whether they are in use. Police there may confiscate radar detectors, operational or not, and impose substantial fines. Winter travel can be dangerous due to heavy snowfalls and hazardous icy conditions. Quebec and British Columbia require snow tires in the `winter. Winter conditions and wildfires may prompt the sudden closure of highways. Provincial ministries of transport typically post closures and other alerts about road conditions on their websites. Rocky Mountain passes are particularly susceptible to closures and accidents. Alcohol and cannabis related driving offenses, such as driving while intoxicated (DWI), driving while ability- impaired, and driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or cannabis, are criminal offenses in Canada. Penalties are heavy, and any prior conviction (no matter how old or how minor the infraction), is grounds for exclusion from Canada. U.S. citizens with a DWI record must seek approval for rehabilitation from Canadian authorities before