According to the latest data released from Statistics Canada, crime severity has seen an uptick in Agassiz-Harrison.
Crime Severity Index (CSI) is based on police-reported crime in jurisdictions across B.C. It encompasses all Criminal Code Violations, including traffic infractions, and each offence is given a weight, depending on its severity.
The data shows that Agassiz-Harrison’s CSI rose by 8.5 per cent from 2020 to 2021. The 2021 score is 215.54, up from 198.52. For comparison, the CSI in Hope – a similarly populated area – is 191.02, experiencing a sharp 18.15 per cent drop from 2020.
Agassiz-Harrison’s CSI rate is considerably higher than the provincial average of 92.86. However, since less data can be harvested from small communities, it can be difficult to compare them to bigger population centres like, for example, Vancouver.
While local violent crime CSI saw a significant, 37 per cent increase from 266.76 to 366.94, non-violent crime CSI took a slight dip from 173.51 to 160.57 (a 7.4 per cent drop).
Statistics Canada calculates a “weighted clearance rate” for police, giving higher weight to solved homicides and break-and-enters compared to lesser crimes like mischief or disturbing the peace. Agassiz-Harrison’s remained much the same from 2020 to 2021, dropping slightly from 20.92 to 19.80.
– With Files from Eric Welsh
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