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ARCHIVED - Archiving Content ARCHIVÉE - Contenu archivé Archived Content Contenu archivé Information identified as archived is provided for L’information dont il est indiqué qu’elle est archivée reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It est fournie à des fins de référence, de recherche is not subject to the Government of Canada Web ou de tenue de documents. Elle n’est pas Standards and has not been altered or updated assujettie aux normes Web du gouvernement du since it was archived. Please contact us to request Canada et elle n’a pas été modifiée ou mise à jour a format other than those available. depuis son archivage. Pour obtenir cette information dans un autre format, veuillez communiquer avec nous. This document is archival in nature and is intended Le présent document a une valeur archivistique et for those who wish to consult archival documents fait partie des documents d’archives rendus made available from the collection of Public Safety disponibles par Sécurité publique Canada à ceux Canada. qui souhaitent consulter ces documents issus de sa collection. Some of these documents are available in only one official language. Translation, to be provided Certains de ces documents ne sont disponibles by Public Safety Canada, is available upon que dans une langue officielle. Sécurité publique request. Canada fournira une traduction sur demande. Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-002-XPE Vol. 16 no. 11 HOMICIDE IN CANADA — 1995 Orest Fedorowycz Highlights n The homicide rate declined again in 1995, after Figure 1 reaching a 25-year low in 1994. This was the Homicide Rates, 1961-1995 fourth consecutive annual decrease. There were 586 homicides reported in 1995, 10 fewer than Rate per 100,000 population the previous year. The national homicide rate 3.5 3.5 has gradually been declining over the last 20 years. 3.0 3.0 2.5 2.5 n Most provinces reported a decline in their homicide rate in 1995; minor increases occurred 2.0 2.0 in British Columbia, Quebec and Newfoundland. 1.5 1.5 British Columbia recorded the highest provincial 1.0 1.0 rate for the fourth straight year, followed by Manitoba and Alberta. Prince Edward Island 0.5 0.5 and Newfoundland recorded the lowest rates. 0.0 0.0 Both Manitoba and Saskatchewan reported their 1961 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 lowest homicide rates in nearly 30 years. n Since 1979, firearms have accounted for one in every three homicides. In 1995, 30% of homicides were committed with firearms, slightly lower than average. Handguns have comprised one in every six homicides since 1991. In the 15 years previous to 1991, handguns accounted for only one in every 10 homicides. n Most homicides are committed by someone known to the victim. One in every six solved homicides (16%) were perpetrated by strangers in 1995, consistent with previous years. Spousal homicides increased slightly in 1995, accounting for a further 19% of the total. n In 1995, 65 youths (aged 12-17) were accused of committing homicide. This total is eight more than in 1994 and is the highest number of youths accused in 20 years. From 1985 to 1994, the youth homicide rate remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 1.5 and 2.5 per 100,000 youths. While the 1995 rate of 2.7 was higher than average, it is difficult to say, given the small numbers, if this is the start of a new trend or simply normal year-to-year fluctuations in the numbers. Price:Canada: $10.00 per issue, Introduction $90.00 annually United States: US$12.00 per issue, Police-reported violent crime in Canada increased steadily from the early 1970s through US$108.00 annually to the early 1990s. Homicides, in particular, tend to be widely covered in the media, Other Countries: US$14.00 per especially those of a brutal nature or those targeting the more vulnerable members of issue, US$126.00 annually society. The 1993 General Social Survey indicated a growing concern among Canadians To order Statistics Canada about threats of attack or violence. Yet the homicide rate has gradually been declining publications, please call our National toll-free line since the mid 1970s. 1-800-267-6677 or internet: [email protected] This Juristat examines homicide data collected from police agencies through the Homicide Survey and comments on short and long-term trends, and the circumstances surrounding homicide incidents. In addition, this report presents rates by province, July 1996 territory and Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), and provides international comparisons. ISSN 0715-271X Published by authority of the In Canada, criminal homicide is classified as first degree murder, second degree Minister responsible for Statistics murder, manslaughter or infanticide. Deaths caused by criminal negligence, suicide, Canada. accident or justifiable homicide are not included in this classification. © Minister of Industry, 1996. All rights reserved.No part of this publication may be reproduced, GENERAL TRENDS stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any Homicide is a relatively rare occurrence in Canada: homicides accounted for 0.02% of means, electronic, mechanical, the almost three million Criminal Code incidents reported to police in 1995, and 0.2% photocopying, recording or of all violent incidents. otherwise without prior written permission from Licence Services, Homicide rate declining over the last 20 years Marketing Division, Statistics Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada Despite public perceptions of increasing crime, the homicide rate has been generally K1A 0T6. declining since the mid 1970s. There were 586 homicide offences reported in 1995, a Note of appreciation decrease of 10 homicides from 1994. The 1995 homicide rate of 1.98 per 100,000 population represented the fourth consecutive annual decline, a decrease of 26% over Canada owes the success of its these four years. statistical system to a long-standing co-operation involving Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its Since 1961, when national homicide statistics were first collected, there have been two businesses, governments and other distinct trends. Between 1961 and 1975 the homicide rate increased steadily from institutions. Accurate and timely 1.28 per 100,000 population to a peak of 3.02, an increase of 136%. Since then, statistical information could not be despite yearly fluctuations, the homicide rate has gradually declined to the current rate produced without their continued of 1.98, a decrease of 34% (Figure 1). co-operation and goodwill. International comparisons The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements According to preliminary figures, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported 21,445 of American National Standard for homicides in the United States in 1995, a rate of 8.5 per 100,000 population. Although Information Sciences – Perma- nence of Paper for Printed Library Canada’s rate (1.98) was one-quarter that of the United States, it was still higher than Materials, ANSI Z39.48 – 1984. many European countries. For example, England and Wales reported a homicide rate 1 ∞ of 1.4 per 100,000 population in 1995, about 30% lower than Canada’s rate (Table 1). 1 Information provided by National Central Bureau - Interpol Ottawa. Standards of service to the public To maintain quality service to the public, Statistics Canada follows Table 1 established standards covering 1994 1994 1 1 statistical products and services, homicide rate homicide rate delivery of statistical information, cost-recovered services and Ireland 0.15 Canada (1995) 1.98 services to respondents. To obtain Australia 0.88 Scotland 2.10 a copy of these service standards, Switzerland 1.14 France 2.44 please contact your nearest England and Wales (1995) 1.40 Hungary 3.02 Statistics Canada Regional Germany 1.69 Northern Ireland 6.51 Reference Centre. Italy 1.71 Netherlands 7.98 Sweden 1.81 United States (1995) 8.50 1 Rates are calculated per 100,000 population. 2 Statistics Canada – Catalogue no. 85-002-XPE, Vol. 16, No. 11 Violent crime rate decreasing since 1992 Figure 2 Contrary to the trend in homicide rates, the violent crime rate Homicide Rates by Province, 1995 more than doubled from the early 1970s to the early 1990s, primarily because of large increases in Level 1 assaults, where physical injury inflicted on the victim was relatively minor. In the Rate per 100,000 population early 1980s, changes in legislation (rape and indecent assault), 3.5 3.5 3.19 police policy or recording practices (eg. in spousal assault cases) and reduced societal tolerance of certain types of violence (eg. 3.0 3.0 school violence) contributed at least partly to the increased rates 2.5 2.37 2.5 2 2.15 of assault. The violent crime rate has been decreasing, however, 2.07 Canada 1.98 since 1992. 2.0 1.84 1.84 2.0 1.63 1.71 Speculation that the declining homicide rate over the past few 1.5 1.5 years may in part be due to victims of serious assaults being 1.0 0.87 1.0 saved by more advanced medical procedures and the increased 0.73 use of paramedics, implies that the number of attempted murders 0.5 0.5 in Canada would have increased in recent years. In fact, the 0.0 0.0 trend in the rate of attempted murders is almost parallel to that B.C. Alta. Sask. Man. Ont. Que. N.B. N.S. P.E.I. Nfld. of homicide. While the homicide rate declined by 26% since 1991, the attempted murder rate has also declined (15%) during Source: Homicide Survey, Policing Services Program, this same period. Therefore, the decline in the homicide rate Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, July 1996. must be attributed to other factors.