Cost of Crime in Canada

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What is Criminal Activity Costing Canadians?

The Challenge of crime to Canadians;

One in four Canadians, 15 years and older, will be victimized each year by a common interpersonal crime, such as break and enter, car theft or assault – Statistics Canada, 2000

This from – Canadian Forum For Crime Prevention Safer Canada Fact Sheet

Despite decreases in the 1990's, violent crime in Canada is still three times the rate of the 1960's (965 per 1000,000 in 2002 vs 221 per 100,000 in 1962) Stats Canada, 2003

Despite significant decreases in property crime reported to the police in the 1990s, the rates are still twice those of the 1960's and rates of break-ins and car theft are 30 percent higher in Canada than the USA – Stats Canada 2001 and 2003

Between half and one third of those charged for property and violent offenses are aged between 15 and 24 – Stats Canada, 2002

Costs of Crime to Canadians

Canada spent more than $11 billion per year on police services and criminal justice, translating into a cost of $360 per Canadian – Stats Canada, 2002

Impersonal crime costs Canadians $59 billion each year. Expressed as a rate per capita, each year:
  $220 in taxes is used for policing and $140 for adult corrections and courts – Stats Canada, 2002
  at least $40 billion in loss and trauma is caused to victims and communities – Justice Canada, 2002; approximately $1200 per Canadian.

Public Opinion of Canadians

71 percent of Canadians believe that crime prevention is more cost effective than law enforcement – Ekos Research Associates, 2002

Every law abiding citizen of Canada is losing his or her right to peaceful enjoyment of life by the inability of our justice system to bring under control the level of crime in our country. Statistics show the cost of crime to be $59 billion each year, but when factoring in the added insurance, higher prices of goods, and the loss of productivity, this figure easily rises to $70 billion; yes $70,000,000,000. each year is lost in Canada due to criminal activity. This includes the approx. 20 billion in outright theft, another 5 billion or so in vandalism and a further 20 billion in higher insurance premiums, extra policing required and judicial costs.

Work out the numbers and this amounts to approx. $2,100 per person, each man, woman and child in Canada. To the average family wage earner this adds up to about $6,300 each year. The bulk of these crimes being committed are by youth and young adults, usually to feed a drug habit or out of association with other non-productive youths being ‘cool’ in the twisted thinking of the ‘gang’ members.

This is only the costs associated with property crimes. Add in the costs and losses due to violence and the numbers increase dramatically; and an even further cost if there was a way to factor in the treatment required and loss of productivity due to drug addiction and alcoholism.

From statistics Canada

Over $11 billion was spent on policing, courts, legal aid, criminal prosecutions, and adult and youth corrections in 2000/01.

Youth crime is generally more property oriented than adult crime: property crimes accounted for 44% of youth crime in 2002, while violent crimes accounted for 24%. The remaining 32% was made up of other criminal offenses, such as mischief and disturbing the peace or offenses against the administration of the law.

Crime stats for 2003 per 100,000 population

Youths aged 13 –24; 4.8 million in 2001 or 16% of the population yet account for over 60% of the property crimes in Canada

Reach the youth and break the cycle! It's that simple.

More than $1 billion was spent on the operation of courts in Canada in 2000/01, employing nearly 10,000 court staff and 2,000 judges. Adult corrections cost nearly $2.5 billion in 2000/01. The average daily cost of housing an inmate was $189 at the federal level and $137 at the provincial level. (It is no wonder the judiciary is being coerced not to incarcerate).

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