Regina has country’s highest crime rate

Baby steps have been taken but there is still a lot of work to be done.  This is not a stat that the city nor the province should be happy about and proves that more needs to be done.  Does this mean more patrols in high crime areas of the city?  Or what is the answer?  Fact is I don't think enough is being done by the police in the city to curb this high crime rate.  Is it time to make some changes at the top here or are we as taxpayers happy with this small progress?  You can probably guess how I feel on the subject but am of one voice.  I feel that more emphasis needs to be put on crime in this province.

Regina has country’s highest crime rate

BY JOE COUTURE, LEADER-POST JULY 21, 2011 1:03 PM

• STORY
• PHOTOS ( 1 )

Regina Police Chief Troy Hagen

Photograph by: Bryan Schlosser, Regina Leader-Post

REGINA -- Regina had the highest crime rate and the highest crime severity index ranking in Canada in 2010, according to a report released by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics on Thursday.

Although crime dropped by eight per cent from 2009 to 2010, bringing Regina’s crime rate to its lowest point in at least 20 years, the rate was still the highest in Canada among census metropolitan areas at 9,813 offences per 100,000 population. Kelowna was second at 9,548 and Saskatoon was third at 9,384.

Regina’s crime severity index, a measure introduced in 2009 that takes into account the seriousness of crimes, was also down eight per cent from 2009 to 2010. But, with an index of 131.4, it was higher than second-place Saskatoon at 128.1 and third-place Winnipeg at 122.3.

With 2010 included, Regina has been No. 1 for crime in the country for three consecutive years, Regina Police Chief Troy Hagen said at a media conference on Thursday.

But he said the numbers are not discouraging, because crime rates are falling in Regina faster than the national average. There is more work ahead, but progress has been steady, Hagen said.

Read more:http://www.leaderpost.com/Regina+country+highest+crime+rate/5138458/story.html#ixzz1Sm1F06IR