Each year, Statistics Canada releases the Crime Severity Index (CSI).
It really must be a dream project for the number crunchers. Take the different category of crimes, assign a value to them based on their significance, tally up the figure and then weigh it based on a population of 100,000 people.
The system has an obvious flaw. It favours large cities. A community that has millions or hundreds of thousands of people will not be impacted by a couple of serious incidents. As for villages, towns and small cities, a couple of serious incidents can really skewer the numbers.
Still, CSI is not just something that the media pays close attention to. Police agencies also give the numbers a good, long look, with some taking a deeper look at the data than others.
And you do begin to see trends. North Battleford and Thompson, Man., are typically first and second on the CSI among policing jurisdictions with a population of at least 100,000. Prince Albert is usually in the top 10.
The CSI report has been kind to Estevan for nearly a decade. Our number has been below 100 six times in the past seven years. The 79.54 CSI figure recorded in 2022 was the lowest since a 75 in 2017 (which was the record low for Estevan) and the third-lowest since the information was first tabulated for Estevan in 1998.
Estevan's violent crime number was down in 2022 to 98.04, while the non-violent crime index was up to 72.81, but it's worth noting the non-violent crime number for 2021 was the lowest ever for Estevan, and the 2022 figure was the second lowest, so it's far from a bleak picture.
Like it or not, this is the most comprehensive report we'll get each year, and it's a piece of the puzzle as we try to gauge whether we feel safe in our communities.
The fact that our rating was the third-lowest it's ever been is certainly encouraging. It's also worth noting that Estevan was ninth among the 11 policing jurisdiction with populations over 10,000. Only the Martensville and Warman RCMP detachments were lower, and they typically have the lowest CSI values in Saskatchewan.
Ultimately, though, we're the ones who decide whether or not we're a safe community, not a number cruncher in Ottawa applying numbers for a complex formula.
How do we gauge safety? Do we feel comfortable when outside at night, or are we looking over our shoulders when walking in the dark? Do pedestrians feel safe? Are we worried about getting mugged or assaulted by total strangers?
These are ultimately the questions we should be asking ourselves when it comes to safety.
Where do you feel safe walking at night? Estevan or Toronto? Probably Estevan, even though Toronto was well below us on the CSI.
It would be nice if we could return to the days of not having to lock our vehicles when they are unattended, and it would be great if we didn't feel the need to lock the doors to our homes when we're away, but that's likely not going to happen anytime soon.
Our community will ultimately be as safe as we make it. Follow the laws and exercise common sense. We have a good police force here, both in city limits with the Estevan Police Service and outside the community with the Estevan RCMP (even though they're currently understaffed). That should also help us feel safe.
Should we feel safer than a lot of the communities that typically have high rankings on the CSI report? Absolutely. There's a reason why some communities are always higher than others.
And if we have a couple of serious incidents that cause our CSI rating to soar, that doesn't necessarily mean we're not as safe.
If our CSI is higher next year, that doesn't mean our community is more dangerous. After all, it's going to be hard for us to be much lower than we are now.
