01 Dec '14

Canada’s homicide rate falls to lowest point since 1966

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Posted by Brett McGarry">Brett McGarry

Despite the fear-mongering exemplified by the “tough on crime” agenda, Canada’s homicide rate is at the lowest point since 1966. This is a continuation of the long-term trend in declining crime-rates, as opposed to a reflection of the “tough on crime” laws passed over the past few years.

See the Ottawa Citizen article by Douglas Quan here.

The Statistics Canada report entitled “Homicide in Canada, 2013”, finds that:

For the second consecutive year, the number of homicides reported by Canadian police services decreased. In total, 505 homicides were reported in 2013, 38 fewer than in the previous year, and the fewest number of homicide victims in Canada in over 40 years.Note 2 As a result, Canada’s homicide rate fell 8% to 1.44 per 100,000 population, the lowest rate recorded since 1966
The actual statistics from StatsCan can be found here. Some other notable  points from the report include: 1.  One in five persons accused of homicide suspected of having a mental or developmental disorder. 2. One in five solved homicides committed by an intimate partner. 3. Both victims and persons accused of homicide are typically male. 4. Nearly nine in ten (87%) solved homicides were committed by someone known to the victim, while the remainder (13%) were committed by a stranger 5.  Of the homicides that came to the attention of police in 2013, about three-quarters (76%) were solved.

Ottawa Criminal Lawyer

Charged with a violent criminal offence in Ottawa? Contact Ottawa criminal lawyer Brett McGarry at (613) 884-8576) to discuss the best strategy for your case.