Two-thirds of Saskatchewan residents feel crime increasing, poll says

Canadians are reporting they are seeing a rise in crime in their communities and feel less confidence in law enforcement, a new poll from the Angus Reid Institute reports. Half of all Canadians polled reported feeling like crime has been on the rise in their community over the last five years, an increase in the opinion since last year, while the western provinces showed 60 per cent of residents felt this was true.

Almost 70 per cent of Saskatchewan residents felt they have seen an increase in crime in their community, while only 2 per cent reported feeling like there had been a decrease in crime.

Manitoba also responded strongly to seeing an increase in crime, aligning with the annual Crime Severity Index report that shows both Saskatchewan and Manitoba have seen an increase in their CSI rating in 2019.

Canadians also responded that they felt less confident in the RCMP, their local municipal police, and the provincial court system.

Visible minorities were twice as likely to report little to no confidence in RCMP compared to non-minorities, and men were more likely to distrust law enforcement than women.

Public opinion in Saskatchewan showed only slightly more support in the municipal police forces in each community than the RCMP, with 57 per cent reporting confidence in the RCMP and 61 per cent reporting confidence in local police.

Only one in three Canadians expressed confidence in their provincial courts, with data showing that residents showed more trust in the Supreme Court of Canada than their provincial systems.

With Regina and Saskatoon currently listed in the top five cities in Canada with the highest CSI rating, data suggesting Saskatchewanians are experiencing more crime in their communities makes sense.

Moose Jaw’s crime trends actually reported a downward trend in 2019, according to statistics from the Moose Jaw Police Service provided in December.

While many Canadians are reporting an increase in crime, Moose Jaw residents actually saw a 3 per cent decrease in crimes against the person in 2019 and a 15 per cent decrease in crimes against property.

Police Chief Rick Bourassa noted during the presentation, however, that statistics don’t always tell a full picture as they are just a snapshot of activity.

Crime ratings across the country have actually been on a constant rise since 2014, said Angus Reid, and 20 per cent of Saskatchewan residents polled reported being a victim of crime in the past two years.

The western provinces consistently reported experiencing an increase in crime throughout the poll, with Manitoba and Saskatchewan reporting the highest CSI rating and public perception of crime rising.