NORTH BATTLEFORD – In the latest 2022 Crime Severity Index (CSI) numbers released by Statistics Canada, North Battleford has retained its infamous position as the most dangerous city in Canada. Despite the unsettling statistics, the city's authorities, along with the police, are at odds with the label and are challenging its accuracy.
According to the data, North Battleford recorded an overall CSI of 557.1 for communities with a population of 10,000 or more, showing a significant increase from its previous score of 480.7 the year before. The CSI rates communities based on violent offences, non-violent offences, and the overall CSI (all offences combined) that factors in volume and severity of crimes.
“The CSI does not accurately represent whether a community is ‘safe’ or ‘unsafe,’” said Candace Toma, spokesperson for the City of North Battleford in a statement issued ahead of the release of the 2022 CSI ranking Thursday.
“To state that North Battleford is the ‘crime capital of Canada’ or to refer to it as ‘Crime Town,’ as it has been mischaracterized for many years, is a short-sighted and oversimplified dismissal of what are much deeper societal issues impacting much of Saskatchewan.”
Likewise, the Battlefords RCMP said the CSI doesn’t capture the proactive police enforcement being done in the community.
“Our officers, partner agencies, local leaders and community members continue to work together to prevent and reduce crime,” said Sergeant Chris Stephens of Battlefords RCMP detachment.
“The success of these initiatives and proactive enforcement results in more arrests, more breaches of conditions identified, and more charges being laid which can ultimately increase our crime rates. The programs and initiatives we implement stem from our collaboration and consultation with communities – this is why community engagement continues to be at the core of our policing priorities.”
In January 2023, a six-month initiative was launched to focus on targeted criminal enforcement and supporting and enhancing relationships with communities, said Stephens.
Early results show that the Battlefords RCMP Crime Reduction Team, the Gang Task Force (GTF), and Saskatoon Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Team (WEST) arrested 63 people, including 10 who were unlawfully at large, and executed 74 arrest warrants. In addition, the Sask. RCMP Combined Traffic Services laid 1,482 charges, conducted 151 inspections, and issued 2,414 warnings during proactive traffic stops.
To address the issue of gun violence, the City of North Battleford is working with Public Safety Canada on a gun violence and gang extrication strategy to help gang members leave the gang lifestyle, said Toma.
The Battlefords RCMP GTF was created in partnership with the city aimed at tackling serious and gang-related crimes. This has resulted in 140 people being charged since January 2021, said Stephens.
Over the last two-and-a-half years, police have recovered 38 stolen vehicles, seized 95 restricted firearms and weapons, executed 33 search warrants, seized 15 kg of cocaine, 40 kg of cannabis, seized 179,200 illegal cigarettes, seized $169,000 in proceeds of crime, and took $2.3 million in illicit drugs off the streets.
From April 2022 to March 2023, Battlefords RCMP conducted 474 curfew checks on prolific offenders to ensure they were complying with court ordered release and probation conditions. This resulted in a 25 per cent increase of additional criminal charges of breaching conditions.
Three community safety initiatives to prevent crime were launched through a partnership with the City of North Battleford, Community Safety Officers, North Battleford Fire Department, and a number of local businesses.
The three initiatives included preventing catalytic convertor theft with the “You Etch. We Catch It” program, a safe space for people to buy and sell items called “Safe Internet Exchange Zone,” and the daily routine called the “9 p.m. Routine.”
These initiatives have resulted in a 31 per cent decrease in vehicle thefts and zero catalytic converter thefts.
Battlefords RCMP made 136 school visits from April 2022 to March 2023 for everything from safety and awareness presentations to just interact with students and staff. They also attended 125 community meeting sessions to work with local leaders and the public.
Residential registration of outdoor security cameras is up by 75 per cent since 2021.
Still, there’s only so much responsive work that the city, the police, and residents can do to help promote community safety and other levels of government need to step up, said Toma.
“North Battleford has significant social issues, and it cannot police itself out of this dilemma.”
A lot of the province’s crime stems from social problems, maintains the city. The province has high rates of interpersonal violence and in 2022 interpersonal violence made up 52 per cent of all violent crimes. This is compounded by mental health and issues related to substance abuse, as well as the highest rates of HIV and syphilis in Canada. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder also continues to increase in the province.
“As a local government, the City of North Battleford does not have the resources or expertise available to adequately address the public health crises and serious social issues impacting the community,” said Toma.
“To truly combat these incredibly significant societal health and social issues and the crimes that occur as a result, we require the assistance of the federal and provincial governments in both public health and social services to make notable and lasting community change.”
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