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Prince Albert drops in yearly crime index statistics

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Prince Albert drops in yearly crime index statistics
Police Chief Jon Bergen speaks at a news conference at École St. Anne school on Sept. 16, 2020 about a new traffic safety program. (Jayda Taylor/Daily Herald)

Crime stats from 2020 show a decrease in both violent and non-violent crime in Prince Albert last year, ranking PA seventh overall for cities with a population of more than 10,000 people.

Prince Albert also ranked seventh overall in both 2019 and 2018.

The city ranked fifth in violent crime, according to 2020 data. This is a decrease from the previous year when Prince Albert was ranked third . Non-violent crime also decreased in 2020, dropping Prince Albert from ninth to 10th place.

“Our community and our police service were faced with different challenges in 2020,” Prince Albert Police Chief Jonathan Bergen said in a release.

“In addition to targeted enforcement, the police service continues to deploy resources to proactive initiatives aimed at engaging with the wider community in a positive way while also working with government and agency partners to promote healthy lifestyles for individuals and families.”

The statistics represent the lowest overall ranking and the lowest non-violent ranking for Prince Albert in 10 years.

The Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics (Statistics Canada) released the 2020 Crime Statistics and the Crime Severity Index (CSI) values for Canada on Tuesday. The annual rankings use police-reported data to compare the severity of crime and violent crime in approximately 300 communities with populations over 10,000.

This year’s CSI statistics show violent crime is at its second-lowest level in the last decade. Prince Albert also ranked 5th for violent crime in both 2014 and 2012. The rankings do not reflect this current year.

Every year PAPS reviews data contained in the annual rankings, including the various factors that can lead to crime in the community. That includes things like poverty, addictions, and mental health concerns.

The police service also tracks trends and statistics on a daily basis and has a number of targeted enforcement initiatives aimed at combatting weapons violence, drugs and property crime.