KAMSACK, CANORA —The severity of crime in and around Kamsack and Canora decreased in 2021, according to a Statistics Canada report.
Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) was released Aug. 2. It measures changes in the level of severity of crime in Canada from year to year. Crimes are assigned weights according to their “level of seriousness,” which is based on the severity of sentences for crimes.
The index includes all Criminal Code violations, including traffic and drug violations and all federal statutes.
Kamsack’s CSI score was 229.89 in 2021, compared to 237.10 in 2020 and 295.13 in 2019.
Canora’s score was 96.47 in 2021, compared to 107.28 in 2020 and 73.82 in 2019.
Out of 77 rural policing districts to receive a score in 2021, Kamsack was 28th, while Canora was 42nd.
As a whole, Saskatchewan had a score of 146.76 in 2021, an increase from 142.60 in 2020. The national score was 73.68.
The highest CSI score in 2021 in Saskatchewan was Black Lake at 1,350.85. However, data for detachment areas with relatively low populations “should be used with caution,” according to Statistics Canada. Low populations can explain, to some degree, why index scores can be high.
Statistics Canada also provided a violent and non-violent crime severity index.
Kamsack had a violent CSI score of 270.49 in 2021, an increase from 2020’s 251.53. The non-violent CSI score was 214.75 in 2021, compared to 231.36 in 2020.
Canora had a violent CSI score of 191.15 in 2021, a decrease from 2020’s 196.69. The non-violent CSI score was 62.18 in 2021, compared to 74.87 in 2020.
The data for the CSI scores is drawn from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, a census of all crime known to police services.
