City murder rate down significantly from last year

Edmonton has recorded 18 homicides to date, drastically down from last year’s 33 at this time.

The year-to-year drop in homicides is a reflection of how violent the first nine months of 2017 were, with 39 slayings recorded. That’s more killings than during the same time span in 2011, the city ’s recordbreaking year of 48 homicides.

The last three months of 2017, however, were relatively peaceful. Three homicides were recorded during that period, making it one of the city’s least violent quarters in a decade.

Edmonton finished the year with 45 official homicides — police did not include two police-involved shootings and a case where charges were withdrawn.

Police spokesman Scott Pattison said homicide numbers tend to go up and down, “typically with no rhyme or reason.”

Between 2009 and 2017, the city averaged just under 24 homicides in the first three quarters of each year. If there are six more slayings in Edmonton between now and the end of September, 2018 will be about average.

In general, homicide rates have dropped from the highs seen 30 or 40 years ago, with western Canadian cities including Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg as notable exceptions.

In 2014, MacEwan University associate professor of psychology Sandy Jung released a study of 124 Edmonton homicide cases between 2007 and 2012. She found that killers and victims tended to be white men in their late 20s or 30s who knew each other, never graduated from high school and were involved in criminal activity.

She also found that 56 per cent of homicides occurred in a private residence, and that men accounted for 75 per cent of homicide victims and more than 90 per cent of killers. Alcohol and edged weapons were often involved.

Cross country homicide rate climbed last year

Canada had 660 homicides in 2017, an increase of 48 over the year before. The homicide rate increased seven per cent to 1.80 homicides per 100,000 people.

Edmonton’s homicide rate last year was 4.82 per 100,000 people.

Vancouver has had 13 homicides this year, Calgary 10, Winnipeg 11, Toronto 59, Ottawa 14 and Montreal 15.

Edmonton police did not release the names of victims in seven of this year’s homicide cases.