July 21, 2016 - The 2015 Police-reported Crime Statistics were released yesterday by Statistics Canada. The Data for Thunder Bay showed reductions in the Crime Severity Index (CSI), overall crime rate, violent crime rate, property crime rate, and youth crime rate-for both violent and property crime.

The 2015 CSI for Thunder Bay showed the greatest reduction across Canada, with an 11 per cent drop from 2014. By contract, Canada's overall CSI rose by five per cent and, of the 33 Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) tracked by Statistics Canada, 20 reported increases in their CSI values.

The overall crime rate in Thunder Bay also showed the greatest reduction in Canada, down 6 per cent from 2014. The violent crime rate was down by 6.85 per cent and the property crime rate was down 5.94 per cent.

The youth crime rate in Thunder Bay showed the most significant reductions. Youth violent crime was down 29.8 per cent and the youth property crime rate was down 30 per cent. Thunder Bay again ranked first for the greatest reductions overall and violent youth crime rates from 2014.

"We are pleased to see these reductions for Thunder Bay," said Mayor Keith Hobbs. "These changes speak to the incredible commitment and efforts underway in our community to improve safety and security, and to reduce victimization."

"Community safety is a shared responsibility, and we must all contribute to making Thunder Bay safer for everyone. The collaborative efforts and commitment of the multi-sectorial Crime Prevention Council, law enforcement, service providers, community groups, neighbourhoods and individuals are making a difference. We will continue our work to address the diverse risk factors of crime and victimization, and to support the most vulnerable populations in Thunder Bay. These numbers are heartening."

To see Statistics Canada full report, go to: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/160720/dq160720a-eng.pdf

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Contact: Lee-Ann Chevrette, Crime Prevention Council Coordinator, 625-2554 or lchevrette@thunderbay.ca