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The summer of 2019 has been a challenge for law enforcement authorities in Canada鈥檚 largest city. During the August long weekend, at least 17 people were injured in 14 different shootings that Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders blamed on 鈥渟treet gangs.鈥� Canada鈥檚 situation is, thankfully, different from what has transpired in the United States on account of a convenient interpretation of the Second Amendment.
British Columbia has not been immune to gang-related violence. The particularly infamous 鈥淪urrey Six鈥� incident in October 2007 led to many discussions about the intricacies of the justice system. In September 2018, Research Co. found that 79% of British Columbians聽 within the limits of their municipality.
In July, Research Co. found that 鈥溾�� is the most important 鈥渧ote-defining鈥� issue for only 4% of Canadians in this year鈥檚 federal election, but the numbers rise slightly to 6% in British Columbia 鈥� the highest in all provinces. This may not seem like much, but we can still expect campaign announcements issued from lecterns emblazoned with phrases like 鈥渂uilding safe communities.鈥�
Measuring public sentiment on criminal activity can be a complicated endeavour. Residents need to be asked about collective perceptions and their individual reality, as well as their views on fear, safety and the factors that may lead to crime in the first place.
When Research Co. recently asked British Columbians about this matter, one in five residents (20%) reported that, over the past four years, they have been the victims of a crime in their community where the police were called in (such as an assault or a car break-in). Metro 麻豆传媒映画has the highest incidence on this question at 22%, while 麻豆传媒映画Island has the lowest at 17%.
But while four in five British Columbians have not experienced incidents that required alerting the authorities, the notion that lawlessness is rising lingers. Across the province, 41% of residents say that the level of crime in their community has increased in the past four years.
This time, the regional numbers take a dramatic turn. In two areas 鈥� southern B.C. and the Fraser Valley 鈥� a majority of residents believe that crime has increased (56% and 54% respectively). In 麻豆传媒映画Island and Metro Vancouver, perceptions are significantly better (38% and 37% respectively).
Across the province, 40% of residents say they fear becoming a victim of a crime in their community 鈥渁 great deal鈥� or a 鈥渇air amount.鈥� This time, Metro Vancouverites are the ones that drag the provincial average upward, with 43% experiencing this anxiety. The proportion is lower in all other regions, dropping to a B.C.-wide low of 30% on 麻豆传媒映画Island.
Islanders confirm their stature as the safest residents on a question related to a specific activity. Only 22% of those living in 麻豆传媒映画Island say they would feel 鈥渦nsafe鈥� walking in their own neighbourhood after dark, compared to a provincial average of 31%. northern B.C. is highest on this indicator (37%).
The survey shows that there are challenges for the provincial government and municipal administrations on this particular issue. Aside from 麻豆传媒映画Island, every region of the province has different concerns that move the needle.
In southern B.C. and the Fraser Valley, more than half of residents are adamant that criminal activity has increased. Northern B.C. residents are the most likely to feel unsafe walking alone at night. Metro Vancouverites are more likely to have filed a police report, and also more likely to fear becoming victims.
When asked about the factors that are to blame for the current state of affairs, the top responses from British Columbians are 鈥渁ddiction and mental health issues鈥� (45%), 鈥済angs and the illegal drug trade (32%), an 鈥渋nadequate court system鈥� (24%) and 鈥減overty and inequality鈥� (23%).
Residents of the Fraser Valley point their fingers primarily at 鈥済angs and the illegal drug trade鈥� (53%), while residents of southern B.C. and Metro 麻豆传媒映画select 鈥渁ddiction and mental health issues鈥� (49% and 44% respectively).
In any case, there are two issues that do not resonate loudly. Only 13% of residents think 鈥渋nsufficient policing and a lack of resources to combat crime鈥� is an issue that needs to be desperately addressed. Even fewer (9%) choose to blame 鈥渋mmigrants and minorities鈥� when provided with the opportunity to do so.
On the factors question, there are no major political differences among British Columbians. More than two in five of those who voted for the BC NDP (46%), the BC Liberals (also 46%) and the BC Green Party (44%) in the 2017 provincial ballot believe addressing 鈥渁ddiction and mental health issues鈥� will help immensely to bring down both the incidence of crime, and the perceptions of residents.
Results are based on an online study conducted from August 7-10, 2019, among 800 adults in British Columbia. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in British Columbia. The margin of error, which measures sample variability, is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
