Pubdate: Tue, 14 Apr 2009
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: Barbara Yaffe

VANCOUVER'S MURDER RATE LOW BY NORTH AMERICAN STANDARDS

We Have The Worst Gun Crime Record Among Big Canadian Cities But 
Overall, Manitoba And Saskatchewan Have Highest Crime Rates In The Country

Just four months in, it's a fair bet 2009 will be remembered as the 
year crime in Vancouver went from bad to untenable.

Reeling from a string of shootings on city streets linked to drug 
gangs, Lower Mainlanders were shocked to learn of the April 4 murder 
of a jogger in one of the city's most popular parks.

Vancouver residents are accustomed to hearing about their city in 
glowing terms as one of the most livable and cleanest cities in the 
world. But earlier this year, Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan 
labelled the city Canada's gang capital, leaving the impression 
Vancouver is a dangerous place to live.

A recent article in a Seattle newspaper asks its readers: "Would gang 
violence deter you from attending the Olympics?"

It's easy to lose perspective when people are getting murdered in 
front of downtown restaurants or in city green spaces.

But the fact is, Vancouver does not have a high murder rate, either 
by Canadian or North American standards.

In terms of perception, a new Harris/Decima poll reveals a heightened 
worry about crime nationally, "but particularly among residents of 
B.C. [and] Alberta."

Crime stats, however, show Canada's crime rate hit a 25-year low in 
2006, with every province and territory recording a drop. Now, when 
it comes to the precise category of "gun-related violent crime," 
Metro Vancouver consistently has experienced the highest rate of any 
Canadian metropolitan area: 43.5 violent offences with guns per 
100,000 population, compared with a national average of 27.5. 
Toronto's rate is 40.4.

But when overall crime is considered -- offences ranging from murder 
to sexual assault to impaired driving -- the folks who need to worry 
more are those in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the provinces with the 
highest crime rates in the country.

Tracking homicides specifically, as of 2007, B.C. had a rate of 2.5 
per 100,000 population, lower than the 2.8 in Alberta, 4.1 in 
Saskatchewan and 3.3 in Manitoba.

Last year, Vancouver recorded 18 murders, compared to Toronto's 70 
and Montreal's 29. The first few months of 2009 does show a new 
trend: more Vancouver murders, 20 so far.

But to put things in perspective, Vancouver continues to be a 
relatively safe North American city. In the U.S., the average 
homicide rate is 6.3 per 100,000. In Seattle last year, 30 murders 
were recorded, in L.A., 381, in New York, 523.

The uptick in Vancouver's murder rate in the last few months is being 
blamed on gangs. The murder in Pacific Spirit Park seemed to come as 
"a last straw," but did not reflect any discernible trend.

Vancouver is brimming with gangs: the Hells Angels, the United 
Nations Gang, the Independent Soldiers, Chinese Triad gangs, the Big 
Circle Boys, Red Scorpions, Punjabi gangs, the East European mafia.

What has been happening is that Mexican authorities have launched a 
campaign to curb their own drug cartel activity.

That campaign has disrupted the cocaine supply line that runs from 
L.A. to Vancouver, which in turn has sent drug prices skyward and 
fuelled more gang violence.

Whether this reflects a temporary or more permanent situation is hard to know.

But what is clear is that Vancouver, with its close proximity to the 
U.S. border, is likely to continue experiencing an outsized number of 
homicides for a city its size as long as it continues producing a 
potent and plentiful marijuana crop and has a culture that supports it.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart