Saskatoon has 6th highest crime severity score among major Canadian cities

Saskatoon saw no change in its Crime Severity Index score last year after a 10 per cent drop in 2020.

The city's score of 106 is the sixth highest among communities with at least 100,000 people. Regina came in fifth highest with a score of 111.

The index measures the volume and severity of police-reported crime in Canada and is released annually by Statistics Canada. The national average was 74.

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In an email to CTV News, Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) spokesperson Brad Jennings said Saskatoon saw an increase in the number of violent crimes, criminal code violations for guns and drugs, sexual violations against children, theft over $5,000 (non-motor vehicle) and robbery.

Homicides and property crimes were down.

And while Statistics Canada noted an increase in hate crimes, Jennings said it is likely due to better tracking and reporting from police services across Canada.

"There could be an increase in incidents themselves, but better data tracking could be responsible for the increase in numbers we are seeing. As an example, the SPS recently established a hate crimes unit and online tool to report hate/bias motivated crimes."

PRINCE ALBERT RANKS HIGH

In Prince Albert, the police service said in a news release that the city ranks fourth among communities with a core population of over 10,000 people — but that the ranking needs context.

The "retail population" of Prince Albert, which includes the number of people who come for services, medical appointments, or entertainment, is close to 190,000 people and larger than census statistics, Prince Albert Police Service said in a news release.

“We continue to track crime trends on a daily basis and our focus remains on proactive engagement and initiatives that support prevention and public safety,” Chief Jonathan Bergen said.

“We know we are not alone in working to address the challenges our community is facing, and we continue to work with governments at all levels and our community to engage on solutions and initiatives that support the health and safety of all residents.”