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Winnipeg reclaims dubious honour for homicide rate

By: Aldo Santin and Jen Skerritt

Posted: 07/24/2012 12:48 PM | Comments: 0

Winnipeg had the highest homicide rate and violent crime rate in the country, according to Statistics Canada. (WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store

Winnipeg is once again the murder capital of Canada.

This morning, Statistics Canada released new data which found Winnipeg had the highest homicide rate and violent crime rate in the country.

Winnipeg’s homicide rate of 5.1 per 100,000 people is the city’s highest since 1981 and the highest in 2011 among all major Canadian municipalities.

The next highest murder rates were reported in Halifax (4.4) and Edmonton (4.2).

Winnipeg also registered the highest score on the Violent Crime Severity Index, 173.8, an increase of 6 per cent from 2010.

Statistics Canada said that while the total number of violent crimes in Winnipeg decreased from 2010 to 2011, the index places a greater weight on more serious crime. The index rose in Winnipeg because of a three per cent increase in robberies and the almost doubling in the number of homicides, 39 compared to 22 in 2010. (There were actually 41 homicides in Winnipeg in 2011 but the two additional incidents were only discovered by police in June and were too late to be included in this year’s report).

Mayor Sam Katz said being the murder and violent crime capital of Canada is not a description any city wants. However, he said the overall numbers show crime has decreased in Winnipeg.

"If crime were going up in our city I'd then I'd be very, very concerned. When I see it's been dropping over the last few years I know we're headed in the right direction," he said.

Katz said many people feel safety has improved in recent years, in part due to the fact there are more police and cadets who patrol downtown. He said certain crimes have dropped five to 10 per cent, and "there's no point" comparing Winnipeg's crime rate with other cities since every place has their own issues to deal with.

"I have no problem going downtown, I have no problem going to the North End, regardless of the day of the week, regardless of what time it is," Katz said.

Winnipeg homicides, 2012

This map shows the locations of homicides in Winnipeg in 2012.

Red icons show unsolved cases, while green icons show cases considered solved.

Use the controls at left to zoom in and out on the map, and click and drag to move around the map. Click on any icon for more details on the case.

Interactive map by Wendy Sawatzky

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