Surrey RCMP has released the latest Surrey crime profile which details statistics on crime in the city over the past ten years, from 2009 to 2018.
The information we are able to derive from the statistical data is very encouraging, says Assistant Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, Surrey RCMP Officer in Charge. The violent crime rate has been trending down over the past 10 years, and in 2018 it was the lowest it has been in the last decade.
The ten-year crime profile is compiled by the Surrey RCMP based on the data submitted to Statistics Canada following Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) scoring rules and guidelines (e.g. only the most serious offence per file is counted). The Crime Profile provides a picture of local long-term trends with respect to select crime types and overall crime categories.
These statistics are now available on the Surrey RCMP website. Here are some of the highlights for 2018:
Overall crime (by volume) has been trending downward since 2014. Similarly, the overall crime rate has been trending down over the last decade, despite the increase experienced in 2014. In 2018, for the fourth consecutive year, crime overall (by both volume and rate) decreased from the year previous.
The total number of Criminal Code offences in 2018 was below the 10-year average (6% lower). In fact, it is the lowest it has been in the last 10 years.
The crime rate decreased 6% from the year previous, and 25% from 2014. The crime rate in 2018 was lower than the 10-year average (16% lower), and the lowest it has been in the last 10 years. It has decreased each year in the last decade (from the year previous), with the exception of the spike in 2014.
Surrey’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) has been trending downward since 2009. The 2018 CSI value is down nearly 9% from the year previous and the lowest it has been in the last decade.
The Violent Crime Severity Index has also been trending downward over the last 10 years, and despite a small upswing in 2015, reached a 10-year low in 2018. The Non Violent Crime Severity Index has also been trending downward over the last decade.
Although our crime rate continues to decrease in Surrey, I want it acknowledge the impact that crime – particularly violent crime – has on our community. Being a victim of crime or experiencing a crime in your neighbourhood has a significant impact on how you feel and your perception of crime, says A/Commr. McDonald.