CRIME IN QATHET PART II: Crime & Punishment in Numbers

Crime, Courts & Corrections: Why qathet’s criminals are bouncing out of jail & what’s coming next

Powell River Law Courts criminal cases

2018/19

New Cases: 421

Concluded Cases: 347

2019/2020

New Cases: 474

Concluded Cases: 309

2020/2021

New Cases: 328

Concluded Cases: 260

Percentage Down

New Cases: -19.2%

Concluded Cases: -25.1%

These numbers are from the Ministry of Attorney General Court Services Branch data. They show that the number of new cases initiated, and cases concluded here have both declined significantly over three years.

Criminal Code violations in qathet

Total Criminal Code Violations:

2018: 1242

2019: 2034

2020: 1526

2021: 1655

Property Crime Violations:

2018: 655

2019: 1162

2020: 813

2021: 893

Assaults:

2018: 127

2019: 205

2020: 202

2021: 190

These numbers are from the RCMP, Powell River detachment. They demonstrate that although the number of new criminal cases seen in court have been declining, the number of criminal code violations has not. In fact, the Province and Statistics Canada both note that crime is likely significantly under-reported now.

How long do people stay in BC jails? (2021)

Average length of stay: 49.6 days

Theft: 19.5 days

Break & enter: 52.1 days

Homicide: 340 days

Robbery: 78.6 days

Major assault: 50.3 days

These numbers were produced by BC Corrections, for the Rapid Investigation into Chronic Offenders report. In a comment on the chart, the authors note: “While the length of stay in prison is generally too short for meaningful intervention, it is nonetheless very disruptive to peoples’ lives. As one non-profit service provider explained: People aren’t in custody long enough to make a meaningful difference – less than 6 months is useless it’s just a joke. It’s long enough to lose everything (like employment and housing) but not long enough to gain anything, like treatment for trauma or addiction.”

The vast, vast majority of people who are struggling are not stealing your weed wacker

2% of people have a traumatic brain injury

20% of people have an active mental illness within any given year

3% of people have used cocaine, crack, ecstasy, speed, meth, hallucinogens or heroin in the past year

21% of people will have a substance use disorder in their lifetime

6.4% of people live in poverty (though there are lots of different measures)

A tiny, tiny minority - about six locals at any given time - are active chronic offenders

Sources: Brain Injury Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (Canada); Statistics Canada; RCMP Powell River.

An end to surging crime: Part 2

This article is the second in qathet Living magazine’s three-part series on crime in this region.

Part 1 explored the crimes themselves: what is happening, and what is the impact on this community?

Part 2 dives in to courts and corrections: how changes to our justice system are playing out locally.

Part 3 asks what those who are perpetrating the crimes need to be able to stop harming this community and themselves, and re-join society.

We hope these stories help inform the current conversation about crime, justice, addiction, and solutions. And, we hope to hear from you.

Please send letters (ideally before the 20th of the month) to isabelle@prliving.ca.