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White Rock included on Maclean’s ‘most dangerous places’ listing

Cities across Canada ranked on crime severity index
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According to a list released by Mac­lean’s magazine last week, White Rock is one of the most dangerous places to live in the Lower Mainland.

The list – which was published online last week under the heading “Canada’s most dangerous places” – ranks communities according to the crime severity index (CSI), a Statistics Canada measure of all police-reported crime, which takes into consideration both the volume and seriousness of offences.

The report looks at 237 urban centres and calculates the difference between their most recent CSI, and their crime severity indexes five years ago. The most current available data – released July 23, 2018 – is for last year.

White Rock ranked 89th on the five-year change in CSI, which puts it ahead of Surrey (164), Langley (141), North Vancouver (95), North Vancouver District (119), Burnaby (202), New Westminster (225), Maple Ridge (98), and Mission (230).

Nearby cities with a higher rating include Abbotsford (34), Vancouver (85) and West Vancouver (57).

White Rock Mayor Darryl Walker told Peace Arch News Tuesday morning that he wasn’t prepared to comment on the findings until reviewing the Mac­lean’s document.

“I’m somewhat flabbergasted. I’m not sure at this point I’m prepared to give a specific answer as the mayor of the city. I would have to have a look at that,” Walker said.

Sexual assault, assault, firearms offences, robbery, impaired driving and cocaine trafficking is down in White Rock, reported fraud is nearly double the national average.

The fraud rate for White Rock is 597.29 incidents per 100,000 population, the Canadian average is 299.05.

White Rock had 132 fraud incidents in 2017.

Although White Rock ranks above most cities in terms of the five-year change in CSI, a much different picture is painted when looking at all crime statistics.

White Rock placed 115 in the all-crime report, which is better than Langley (9), Vancouver (42), City of North Vancouver (97), Surrey (47), Burnaby (94), New Westminster (95), Maple Ridge (83), Mission (62), and Abbotsford (69).

In 2017, there were 57 reported assaults in White Rock, four sexual assaults, one firearms offence, four robberies, 98 break-and-enters, 132 cases of fraud, zero youth offences and no murders.

In 2016, White Rock logged 282 fraud reports.



About the Author: Aaron Hinks

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