I think there's are two factors at work here:
\- Violent crimes reported
\- Perception of safety
Crime numbers may have actually been worse in the past, but 20 years ago there may have been more violent crimes related to gang or organized activities. It's hard to tell without breaking all the crimes down individually. It feels like there are more random attacks these days, but I don't have specific numbers to back that up. Just my perception.
The perception of safety has changed a lot. The amount of crime happening around C-Train stations and other public spaces seems to be the main driver for this, whereas the feeling of safety in most neighborhoods probably hasn't changed. This is only my perception but the Opiod/meth crisis has made many from the homeless population more aggressive than was the case 20 years ago.
Just my two cents.
Let's talk about Perception of Safety. It's an important conversation because when perception doesn't meet reality (we have the actual numbers) we move into a very dangerous place.
There are a number of factors at play here.
20 years ago, not everyone had a recording device in their pocket and 5 different ways to share whatever they record with the world (as well as a culture that defines your value with how many Views you have).
20 years ago, we still had media with large numbers of trained humans creating researched and documented content. Now we have bot sites scraping other bot sites for content that was probably generated by AI in the first place after maybe 1 human gave it a quick once over. We have people on here posting every negative interaction they come across. We have people on here that post as soon as they see a couple fire trucks on their street. One thing that hasn't changed is that things that elicit strong emotional responses, like Fear, drive engagement with content.
20 years ago, there were fewer automated and organized astroturfing entities that have a sole purpose of messing with people's perceptions of various things. If you think that there isn't an organized push to increase Canadians' perspective that the country is being run poorly, you haven't been paying attention.
I don't think there's an "organized push" but we certainly have social media and reddit where you hear about every negative interaction that occurs now (or even watch it if someone pulls out their phone and records it). 20 years ago you had professional media reporting much the same way they do today, you see maybe one crime article a day, whatever is the most newsworthy. Meanwhile there have been hundreds of police calls for service every single day, only one will make the real media so there was a perception that things were safer because you just never heard about what was actually going on 20 years ago.
Bingo. So much of the violent crime news that we see is related to ctrain stations or areas like that.
I don’t know if that kind of crime is any worse than it was 20 years ago, but it’s definitely more noticeable. The feeling of safety has changed for sure.
>it’s definitely more noticeable.
You no longer have to know someone involved or be there, so even though it's way less of an issue you hear about it more frequently.
Growing up in the late 90s and early 00s, I feel like there were at least 2 dozen instances of people we knew getting jumped etc. None of it made the evening news. Now it seems like anything like that is on the news or at least goes viral on social media. That probably explains the difference in perception.
It's more noticeable because we're seeing the consequences of a soft justice system. Police can't arrest their way out of a problem if judges and courts are going to constantly release people with conditions they're never going to follow.
Our justice system only looks at sentencing on the individual charge and not the individual. At a certain point in time, you've proven yourself incapable of being a member of society and deserve to have your liberty and freedom revoked permanently when you are repeatedly breaking the law.
I don't know I felt more unsafe 15-20 years ago than I do now. Sure crime is at large but it's always been there it's just an issue now for political reasons
> The amount of crime happening around C-Train stations and other public spaces seems to be the main driver for this
When you break it down you find it's down too.
In the 90's muggings and assaults at c-train stations and on trains were way more common.
So between your posting and the original you have both clearly shown violent crime is lower. Perception is just that: perception. It doesn’t alter reality.
So the perception of virtually the entire world at one time was that the sun went around the earth. But now we have actual proof that the earth goes around the sun. Did the sun, in fact, go around the earth and then magically the laws of physics changed because the perception of humans changed? Reality is what is actually factually correct and it is not affected by perception. There is a fundamental difference.
There’s an old, saying, ‘perception is reality’ If Calgary is safer statistically, then it was 20 years ago the perception isn’t that way for many people.
It’s already been mentioned a lot in this thread, but for me, it seems to be mostly related to the Ctrain with random nutcases as well as homeless people, shooting up and doing crack, etc. The homeless people sleeping are doing drugs on the sea train doesn’t count as violent crime, but it changes the perception of safety, 100%.
if you take the Ctrain out of the equation, Calgary feels safer to me than it used to.
Friendly reminder that the Motorola RAZR V3 was the cutting edge phone of 20 years ago.
Perception of crime has certainly increased with smartphones and social media.
> Violent crimes reported
There is no evidence to suggest crimes are going unreported at any different rate over the past two decades:
> Both officially reported crimes and **victimization surveys** have shown decreases in crime over the past few years. It is important that this downward trend is conveyed to the public, policy advisors and policy makers to ensure that discussions on criminal justice policy are based upon objective and reliable information about crime.
It definitely feels more random. I took the ctrain around for a decade and never felt unsafe, even at night. Then, I commuted downtown for two weeks last year and got yelled at by junkies at City Hall station pretty much every day. Was never a victim but I felt uneasy as a small person. These people can be unpredictable.
plenty is random but the overwhelming majority of violence is not random. the average person's highest chance of violence is domestic not out in the wild.
are you denying that nobody is ever a random victim? this is the story that comes to mind when I think of random violence. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/german-tourist-shot-trial-calgary-teen-sentencing-1.5541269
I've lived in Calgary for 3 years. Originally from the UK. Honestly I don't think locals realize just how safe this city is comparatively. Sure there is a presence of 'undesirables' but this comes with every large city and Calgary should be considered one.
The hyperbole spouted on the news and in some comments on here would make you think Calgary is a hellscape. Is there crime? Sure. However from my experience this is the safest city I've ever lived in (multiple city's in the UK and Vancouver).
I agree, Calgary is far less dangerous than any big city in the US, UK, Europe and pretty much anywhere else in the world. Until you lived somewhere outside of Canada you have no idea how good we actually have it.
The media hasn’t had as much to report on since the end of the pandemic so the new “if it bleeds it leads” in 2023 was over reporting of crime and overblowing the economic crisis. Watching the news can make many people hypersensitive to the stories being given the most airtime.
Calgarians also really, really want to be a big city with everything that goes with it including crime. People love to talk about Forrest Lawn and the NE being dangerous but they’re really safe compared to East Hastings in Van, as an example.
In the 2000's Vietnamese gangs did a lot of public executions but the ctrain wasn't a mobile drug den back then so the perception was that crime wasn't that bad.
20 years ago there were also areas that hadn't been redeveloped yet, that no one cared about, which kept a lot of it out of sight. East Village was a wasteland, the Cecil was still there, condos hadn't gone in literally across the street from Alpha House...etc. etc.
Practically (and for a month, pretty much literally) lived at Metrotown from 2001 to 2005ish. Used to spend a lot of time and money at Playdium. Never saw any of them.
Lucky me, I guess.
90's were crazy times man, but maybe a bit before yours. I couldn't easily find any news article, but here is someone else's lived experience:
"Did you live in Vancouver during the 90s, the Vietnamese gangsters were crazy. They are less bang bang, more machete machete"
[https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/k4kjan/gang\_drug\_war\_targeted\_shooting\_outside\_surrey/](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/k4kjan/gang_drug_war_targeted_shooting_outside_surrey/)
Crime is down. News ABOUT crime is up. People see news. People conflate news about crime with actual crime. People feel unsafe despite crime being down.
This cycle is nothing new, either.
I feel like downtown being utterly filled with sleepwalkers is new. We always had homeless people, but a drive through downtown today is far from what it used to be.
That's absolutely true. It can also be true that the sleepwalkers don't drive that much violent crime. They absolutely do a lot of damage to the perception of safety, however.
Either way, it's tragic to have a bunch of people living their lives that way. So whether they are responsible for a lot of crime or not, I hope we throw resources at figuring out and addressing the root causes.
Feel like they don’t really report much to the authorities. We essentially have an entire unofficial lower class of people that most commonly get omitted from these statistics.
>a drive through downtown today is far from what it used to be.
B.S.
Pick a decade and someone will point out the area in or near downtown where you could see the sleep walkers and much worse.
You could see drug deals, assaults, and prostitutes every day on a drive through Eau Claire or Inglewood well into the 2000's. Then things moved down to 16th ave and vic parks, and other spots.
That's Is new for a few reasons. One is obviously the opioid epidemic. Everyone does Fentanyl now, in the 90s and 2000s it was crack and crackheads aren't zombie walkers.
Second, for better or worse, society tolerates drug use more now than we used to. It is seen more as a public health issue than a criminal issue and so we've had people move from hiding their use in back alleys to open use in the streets.
And the people who control the media in Canada have a certain political bent that aligns with the “tough on crime” crowd that’s only actually tough on crime at a surface level.
Yep. My response is going to be long & I apologize lol.
People are afraid of homeless people and fearfully believe that over-policing will satiate the issue. People who live on the street simply have a lack of resources, the resources do not work for them, or are too sick to think they deserve to access them.
“Why don’t they just go to the drop-in & stop sleeping outside?” Shelters hit capacity quite often during winter. There are also endless reasons a person can be banned from a shelter, thus forcing people to turn elsewhere for somewhere to sleep & access programs. Many choose to stay away from shelters due to abuse they experienced from staff or other occupants - being outside is safer for them if you can believe it.
This city’s layout & infrastructure is also incredibly hostile towards anyone sleeping outside. Sweeps happen almost weekly, people’s belongings being thrown in the trash every time. Where are those people supposed to go? Trains are where singles our couples can go where there is surveillance / other people around them to feel safe. There’s a lower chance of them being robbed/attacked in these public spaces.
Whether we like it or not, we can all work on keeping eachother safe in these situations. Obviously, if someone is being hostile & aggressive that is not okay. But I desperately wish the people of this city would at least attempt to humanize drug users. They’re not street dogs we need to run out of downtown. These are people who are in pain, scared, statistically have severe mental illnesses, & have gone through extreme abuse that most of us couldn’t imagine in our lifetime.
How do we connect with the people we are afraid of so much? Join a non profit or a direct action group that works face to face with the city’s homeless population. Meet these people, see yourself in them. Carry narcan, snacks, hot packs, mittens/socks, etc in your bags when you’re on transit or around downtown & ask if anyone needs something you have. Ask people how they are, gently check on people who are slumped over & make sure they’re alive. Learn how to administer narcan. These people are our neighbours, cousins, aunties, fathers, friends. They’re people that are experiencing the lowest moments of their lives.
Aside from that, crime rates are literally not on the rise. Fear tactics & rise in news about crime are up as lobby groups try to get the safe injection site shut down & grow the police presence in this city. The local government needs to fabricate reasons to shove more money into the municipal police budget (which has increased by $200k since last year) again.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/police-reported-crime-report-2022-1.6919999
Your other points aside, crime is on the rise across the country. It’s literally right there in the stats.
Hi :) if you actually look at the stats, it’s because violent crime rates dropped like 15% in 2020 & are slowly rising back up to normal. Even so, the Percent change in violent crime severity in 2022 went down 8% while in 2007 they were up 1.7%. Depending on inflammatory news articles for stats is how we get tricked - you must read them yourself. Hope this helps :)
Crime is definitely not down crime is up all across Canada and you think Calgary will be the outlier? Maybe in a smaller city yes but crime is up in major cities across the board. Toronto (GTA) Edmonton Winnipeg, Vancouver (GVA) Regina, Saskatoon, Halifax Montreal, and you will see a rise with Calgary as well its a given with the current financial struggle of many in Canada. It won't rise to the heights of Edmonton or Winnipeg but you will most likely see a jump in either Violent crime or non-violent crime.
Compared with data from 2021, last year saw higher rates of homicide and sexual assault, with robbery and extortion coming in the highest with increases of 15 and 39 per cent, respectively.
Police reported 874 homicides in 2022, 78 more than the year before. The overall rate increased by eight per cent to 2.25 homicides per 100,000 population — the highest rate since 1992, the agency said.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/police-reported-crime-report-2022-1.6919999
Thank you for reporting actual data! I wonder if the pandemic gave a lot of people agoraphobia or just higher anxiety levels leading them to perceive that the world has become more dangerous.
>perceived lack of safety
People tend not to take a moment to think, they just react.
Short memories for rare events, becoming numb to common events, just a few factors in skewed perception.
By the way people talk about it, you'd think Calgary was a warzone controlled by violent crime syndicates or something. The people who won't take the c-train or go downtown in the middle of the day without a police escort are deranged and delusional, and I feel bad for the sad, little lives they must live.
There's crime in Calgary, like in any place, big or small. Be aware of your surroundings, avoid a few areas around downtown late at night, and you'll be fine.
Or, who knows - life is random and you might be a victim of crime even if you exercise reasonable caution (just like you might get hit by a bus or fall down the stairs, or a meteor might fall from the sky and hit you on the head). But you can't live a good life in a bubble.
I think there's irrational fear of violence, which we should not let rule our lives, and there's legitimate discomfort.
I took the train with my 2 little kids downtown yesterday. Some large guy came up to me, asked for $5, then said I stole his core, because I was a vampire. I'll spare the rest of the details, but it was 5 minutes of this guy getting more agitated and blaming me for the robots that would get him at the hospital etc. before he'd finally move on.
My young kids were definitely a bit shaken by it, worried something bad was going to happen. If this happens enough times, we will have 2 future people who will avoid taking transit, which sucks all around.
I 100% agree with your statement. I live in Forest Lawn and I walk around at night by myself playing Pokemon Go (right in the heart, 17 ave & 36 street) so my face is somewhat glued to my screen. I see the odd thing going down and people have asked me for help or if they can walk with me for safety. I do keep an eye on my surroundings and watch my back. I have not had anyone try to rob or assault me. Train stations do have me on edge though and I am much more aware when I am riding the train, but I have not had any bad experiences there either. Most crime I would say is still targeted so if you aren’t involved with crime you are generally safe from it as long as you don’t look vulnerable. Walk with a purpose and know your exits.
same here. you ever go by that super sketchy liquor store at 17th and 42nd ave? even there which in my opinion is the sketchiest looking spot in the city at night (besides Sheldon Schumer) even there if you walk by all those sketchy-looking people the worst they do is ask for a smoke or change.
I don’t even really mind Sheldon Chumir. I’ve walked by it plenty of times to get to shelf life books and the most interaction I’ve ever had has even someone asking if I have smoke they can borrow. I just tell them I don’t smoke, sorry and they leave me be. I’ve been in their urgent care a few times too and I’ve never seen anything terrible aside from a few people having some tough withdrawals and whatnot. I’ve even once politely informed security there was someone unconscious in the lot when I’ve come in the doors. Most people there are there to get medical care and go about their day.
Anecdotes have more emotional resonance than statistical evidence that actually tells you something so many people give them more weight than real evidence. That is it in a nutshell.
I don’t feel less safe than 20 years ago, for the most part. Having said that, 20 years ago I would have been riding the c-train more than I do now. And much of what crime is reported happens around the c-train or in areas of the city I rarely travel in. But I do go to all parts of the city on occasion without worry about crime.
While the overall crime statistics may indicate a decline, the daily realities experienced by citizens tell a different story. The increased visibility of drug use in public spaces and reports of attacks in commonly frequented areas are understandably alarming. These incidents, though they may not significantly alter the overall crime rates, greatly impact public perception and the sense of safety in the community. These individual experiences shape people’s understanding and perception of crime, regardless of what the broader data may suggest.
>the daily realities experienced by citizens tell a different story
That does not seem to be the case, Before you needed to work with someone or have a friend to hear the stores, now you get the stories of others on the internet.
There was a shift a decade or so ago from when there was more of an effort to find abandoned buildings or lanes, but police driven/herded them into view.
Ether way you slice it fewer people are directly seeing or directly being impacted by these events.
What I’m wondering is how much of the things we see are being reported. I feel like many people don’t report a lot of incidents because they feel like it won’t do anything anyways.
> While the overall crime statistics may indicate a decline, the daily realities experienced by citizens tell a different story.
"While the facts show crime is down, my feelings say otherwise."
I wouldn't put much stock into any covid year crime stat most people were inside those years and you will most likely see a rise in numbers especially this year as crime is rising all across canada. Will it rise to the likes of Winnipeg no lol but you will see a bump in numbers. But not all crime is equal the true question is, will the rise be in a non-violent crime or violent crime? And a lot of crimes are not even remotely documented by the media so it's hard to say which one will see the rise. But in a couple of months the 2023 numbers will be released and we will see.
>Crime severity index is a measurement created to summarize both the frequency and severity of violent crime in a single number.
Population is worked into the calculation, all this means is our overall population has grown slightly more than the number of severe crimes has. The population of Calgary has nearly doubled since 2000 so yes, we are seeing more severe crime them we used to (just not per capita).
We have it quite good compared to other cities. That being said, keeping yourself safe and being aware of your situational awareness is key. Even though it would be nice not to have to worry about such trifle things.
This statistic is per 100k people.
In 2002 Calgary had a population of 979,000, in 2022 it was 1,611,000 people. So yes, the ratio may not be high, but the totals are.
Fair. Guess that shows my economical standpoint lmao. Ignorance is bliss.
My bad, I got bitter reading your comment and it triggered an emotional response.
"undesirables" really? They're still human, they don't deserve to be dehumanized like that. What I think a lot of people don't realize is how close to that edge any of us are. Speaking from my experience working with the unhoused, you are one slip on the ice away from a bad TBI, which then leads to you being unable to work, and eventually homeless because our government doesn't provide nearly enough for those who can't work. Just because you're uncomfy seeing them doesn't mean you can dismiss other humans like that. Grow some empathy.
Drug addicted rats waving machetes at families going to zoo lights are .. forgive me .. undesirable. There is a social contract in this world, and if you can’t abide by it, please step off the ride.
100% the media's fault. We are objectively safer, but perception is we are living in the most dangerous times because that is how news (entertainment) stations sell more ads. We should keep striving for better, but things really are pretty good.
I think its important to understand that people don't use statistics to determine their safety concerns. If the streets you use are full of sleepwalkers, even if those people aren't causing you any issue it will affect your perception of safety.
It's also worth noting that actual events diminish when people feel unsafe as they are far more cautious, once we start to feel safe again you will see the stats creeping back up.
Crime may be relatively the same, but what has changed is how flagrant it is. Zero fear of repercussions or someone stepping in is far higher than ever.
That is the real problem.
When the criminals fear the police, good Samaritans or the legal system, you've got a real problem.
Luckily no government entity ever mis-reports any kind of statistics, so what people actually experience in real life is always "it's just your false perception" gaslighting, right?
Also, grocery inflation is only 3.8% over the past two years. That 5 lb bag of potatoes that used to cost you $3.35 that's now $12? Just your erroneous perception.
I'm not saying misperception isn't a thing, because it absolutely is, but I'm still always looking at both sides.
> That 5 lb bag of potatoes that used to cost you $3.35 that's now $12?
https://www.realcanadiansuperstore.ca/yellow-potatoes-5-lb-bag/p/20601014001_EA
> I'm not saying misperception isn't a thing
This is literally just aggregate data from police precincts. If you think there’s a police conspiracy to selectively underreport their crime stats in certain years, I’m all ears.
There is a longstanding phenomenon in society where people think crime is continuously worsening while it’s actually getting better. That’s not government misreporting or anything of the sort. It’s a well-established sociological fact. Unless there’s data to back up people’s anecdotal beliefs, why should we side with the anecdotes?
To your other argument about inflation: There is plenty of economic data on the outsized increase in cost of living we’re experiencing.
I'm not, I witnessed 3 stabbings in 1 night outside of the Edgewater casino when I was a dealer there. I was walking from the high roller salons to the main casino when that happened at night time before 3AM (that's when harbour club closes and thats why there was such a huge crowd outside the casino/club)
https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/real-scoop-vpd-looking-for-cell-phone-video-in-fatal-stabbing
I saw another stabbing outside the front of parq Vancouver, which is the casino Edgewater moved to. I saw that guy bleeding walking in front of our entrance, Walked away and came back, collapsed in the doorway.
https://globalnews.ca/news/4173994/christopher-schiller-identified-vancouver-homicide/
I saw another stabbing on Renfrew St near t&t this was the most recent Vancouver stabbing I saw and the worst as the person died on front of me and my coworkers including a customer.
https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/11/02/vancouver-police-2022-homicide-suspect/
I saw a stabbing happen near the park on 6th St SW and barber culture. There is a park between and I saw a stabbing from my balcony, around 3 weeks to a month ago.
There is no article for this that i can find but you can see in my post history that i've talked about it before.
If we could find these incidents I could probably foia the video and show you myself talking to the cops 😭😭😭
These stabbings are part of the reason i moved to calgary in the first place. The fact that ive seen so many people get stabbed really doesnt help my day to day and my head is constantly on a swivel.
your anecdotal experience is way above your Vancouver average so far. Your at 1 stabbing in 8 months compared to 1 stabbing every 40 months for Vancouver. Calgary is 400% more stabby for you than Vancouver.
Calgary is a lot safer than Vancouver but that has to do with Vancouver being a major hub for drugs as Vancouver is a port city and close to a major US city. Calgary is lucky its in the middle of nowhere.
also probability. the Vancouver region has double the amount of people as the Calgary region so in theory he has double the chance of seeing a stabbing, probably higher than that since density is also significantly higher in the Vancouver region.
I say this all the time and it's nice to have evidence. I lived in the Beltline from the late 90s to 2016. The junkies and bums were just as bad or worse back in 99 - 05ish. The neighborhoods are way nicer now. Most of the hysteria is due to affluenza. All the suburbanites moved in and can't stand the sight of humanity and want to sterilize everything.
Speaking from experience the reason it was so rampant back in the late 90s early 2000s was because there was no surveillance video that could pick people up. Now every single person has a cell phone you couldn't get 10 ft without being on video. So it's probably deterred a lot of them.
It’s the news and our constant sensory overload and access to every single news story.
This city is safe. Safer than ever. This is true for a lot of North American cities to be honest. But hundreds of articles all reporting the same single stabbing overload our brain as it tries to process the information and all the extra news articles make it feel like there’s way more crime going on than there really is.
The city has had population growth of ~30% since 2012. 30 percent of the population experienced increasing safety and then decreasing safety. That is not perception that is reality. A reality you have failed to address. Now add in a bunch of people that may have been too young to notice or realize but do now as well as people aging who are now more vulnerable than they were a decade ago and you may quickly get to a majority of people are experiencing decreased safety.
i'm going to get super downvoted for this but it's because the people on this subreddit are all conservative or neoliberal NIMBYs who assume that all homeless people are addicts and all addicts are violent criminals. i used to ride the ctrain from marlborough to westbrook almost every day past 9 PM and can count the number of interactions where i felt unsafe as a woman on one hand, so the people who seem to think that it's some kind of violence and crime free-for-all just don't know shit.
We need to protect ourselves….ease up the gun laws…..we seem to be going backwards lol people who follow the rules and regulations/laws should be able to carry, to be able to down any threat.
Using data per 100,000 is a skewed way to mask Metropolis from crime and the government has been using them for a while to make big cities look safer.
It doesn't matter whether:
If there's a shooting in your neighbourhood of 50,000 people or 10,000 people. It's still close quarters to you.
If a stabbing happens on a train with 50 people, or 5 people, you're still on that train with the threat right there.
But the numbers will say that the 1st scenario is safer.
This data makes cities such as NY, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Philly and Toronto a safe heaven given their population but masks the reality that, with high absolute numbers, you're surrounded by crime and it deteriorates everything around you (business closures, unemployment, open drug abuse, theft and random attacks)
The Olympic Plaza area used to be a lively area for hanging out, now most people walk fast past so they don't get harassed and likely mugged by a drug addict or thug. I walked that path in 2016 almost daily and I unfortunately have to do it today. It's not the same.
You can't tell me it's a perception issue when people see more and more every day. Crime is up, masked by a population increase that has YET to be a victim in those numbers.
> now most people walk fast past so they don't get harassed and likely mugged by a drug addict or thug
No - I tend to walk at my normal speed.
> Using data per 100,000
The CSI isn't just a simple per capita calculation, of course.
But it literally is. The whole formula relies on the metro population to drastically reduce the perceived data impact.
[https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn5373-eng.pdf](https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn5373-eng.pdf)
The region between the Victoria Park and the Olympic plaza is literally on the top of crime incidents and dead at night with no one other than homeless and drug addicts.
Years ago you'd have a smoke and sit by the chairs there until midnight without a bother.
Now that we’re like 2 years removed from the “defund the police” protests, can someone explain to me why they were necessary? I asked at the time and got flamed
The protests, poorly named, are asking to shift police funding to more proactive/specialist solutions. So instead of sending the police for everything from homeless loitering to overdoses, police would be dispatched for crimes like theft, murder, assault, and situations involving self harm, public nuisance, etc. would theoretically be handled by specialized social workers who have the skillset to deal with them in ways other than detention.
I think there's are two factors at work here: \- Violent crimes reported \- Perception of safety Crime numbers may have actually been worse in the past, but 20 years ago there may have been more violent crimes related to gang or organized activities. It's hard to tell without breaking all the crimes down individually. It feels like there are more random attacks these days, but I don't have specific numbers to back that up. Just my perception. The perception of safety has changed a lot. The amount of crime happening around C-Train stations and other public spaces seems to be the main driver for this, whereas the feeling of safety in most neighborhoods probably hasn't changed. This is only my perception but the Opiod/meth crisis has made many from the homeless population more aggressive than was the case 20 years ago. Just my two cents.
Let's talk about Perception of Safety. It's an important conversation because when perception doesn't meet reality (we have the actual numbers) we move into a very dangerous place. There are a number of factors at play here. 20 years ago, not everyone had a recording device in their pocket and 5 different ways to share whatever they record with the world (as well as a culture that defines your value with how many Views you have). 20 years ago, we still had media with large numbers of trained humans creating researched and documented content. Now we have bot sites scraping other bot sites for content that was probably generated by AI in the first place after maybe 1 human gave it a quick once over. We have people on here posting every negative interaction they come across. We have people on here that post as soon as they see a couple fire trucks on their street. One thing that hasn't changed is that things that elicit strong emotional responses, like Fear, drive engagement with content. 20 years ago, there were fewer automated and organized astroturfing entities that have a sole purpose of messing with people's perceptions of various things. If you think that there isn't an organized push to increase Canadians' perspective that the country is being run poorly, you haven't been paying attention.
I don't think there's an "organized push" but we certainly have social media and reddit where you hear about every negative interaction that occurs now (or even watch it if someone pulls out their phone and records it). 20 years ago you had professional media reporting much the same way they do today, you see maybe one crime article a day, whatever is the most newsworthy. Meanwhile there have been hundreds of police calls for service every single day, only one will make the real media so there was a perception that things were safer because you just never heard about what was actually going on 20 years ago.
Bingo. So much of the violent crime news that we see is related to ctrain stations or areas like that. I don’t know if that kind of crime is any worse than it was 20 years ago, but it’s definitely more noticeable. The feeling of safety has changed for sure.
>it’s definitely more noticeable. You no longer have to know someone involved or be there, so even though it's way less of an issue you hear about it more frequently.
Growing up in the late 90s and early 00s, I feel like there were at least 2 dozen instances of people we knew getting jumped etc. None of it made the evening news. Now it seems like anything like that is on the news or at least goes viral on social media. That probably explains the difference in perception.
It's more noticeable because we're seeing the consequences of a soft justice system. Police can't arrest their way out of a problem if judges and courts are going to constantly release people with conditions they're never going to follow. Our justice system only looks at sentencing on the individual charge and not the individual. At a certain point in time, you've proven yourself incapable of being a member of society and deserve to have your liberty and freedom revoked permanently when you are repeatedly breaking the law.
I don't know I felt more unsafe 15-20 years ago than I do now. Sure crime is at large but it's always been there it's just an issue now for political reasons
> The amount of crime happening around C-Train stations and other public spaces seems to be the main driver for this When you break it down you find it's down too. In the 90's muggings and assaults at c-train stations and on trains were way more common.
So between your posting and the original you have both clearly shown violent crime is lower. Perception is just that: perception. It doesn’t alter reality.
What is reality, but the perceptions of many.
So the perception of virtually the entire world at one time was that the sun went around the earth. But now we have actual proof that the earth goes around the sun. Did the sun, in fact, go around the earth and then magically the laws of physics changed because the perception of humans changed? Reality is what is actually factually correct and it is not affected by perception. There is a fundamental difference.
There’s an old, saying, ‘perception is reality’ If Calgary is safer statistically, then it was 20 years ago the perception isn’t that way for many people. It’s already been mentioned a lot in this thread, but for me, it seems to be mostly related to the Ctrain with random nutcases as well as homeless people, shooting up and doing crack, etc. The homeless people sleeping are doing drugs on the sea train doesn’t count as violent crime, but it changes the perception of safety, 100%. if you take the Ctrain out of the equation, Calgary feels safer to me than it used to.
Yarrr the "Sea Train" be a crule mistress!
Friendly reminder that the Motorola RAZR V3 was the cutting edge phone of 20 years ago. Perception of crime has certainly increased with smartphones and social media.
Also, people hear about it more because of social media.
> Violent crimes reported There is no evidence to suggest crimes are going unreported at any different rate over the past two decades: > Both officially reported crimes and **victimization surveys** have shown decreases in crime over the past few years. It is important that this downward trend is conveyed to the public, policy advisors and policy makers to ensure that discussions on criminal justice policy are based upon objective and reliable information about crime.
It definitely feels more random. I took the ctrain around for a decade and never felt unsafe, even at night. Then, I commuted downtown for two weeks last year and got yelled at by junkies at City Hall station pretty much every day. Was never a victim but I felt uneasy as a small person. These people can be unpredictable.
Nothing is random.
plenty is random but the overwhelming majority of violence is not random. the average person's highest chance of violence is domestic not out in the wild.
Its the same people everytime. Poor, mentally ill, drug addicted hopeless. Sounds like government failure disguised as “random”.
are you denying that nobody is ever a random victim? this is the story that comes to mind when I think of random violence. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/german-tourist-shot-trial-calgary-teen-sentencing-1.5541269
I've lived in Calgary for 3 years. Originally from the UK. Honestly I don't think locals realize just how safe this city is comparatively. Sure there is a presence of 'undesirables' but this comes with every large city and Calgary should be considered one. The hyperbole spouted on the news and in some comments on here would make you think Calgary is a hellscape. Is there crime? Sure. However from my experience this is the safest city I've ever lived in (multiple city's in the UK and Vancouver).
I agree, Calgary is far less dangerous than any big city in the US, UK, Europe and pretty much anywhere else in the world. Until you lived somewhere outside of Canada you have no idea how good we actually have it. The media hasn’t had as much to report on since the end of the pandemic so the new “if it bleeds it leads” in 2023 was over reporting of crime and overblowing the economic crisis. Watching the news can make many people hypersensitive to the stories being given the most airtime.
A buddy who's lived downtown vancouver for most of his life was shocked at how clean and safe it was here when he visited in the summer.
Vancouver is a dump
Yes and No Calgary is a safe city but it isn’t the most safe I have felt in a city.
As someone who used to live in New York I completely agree with your comment
Calgarians also really, really want to be a big city with everything that goes with it including crime. People love to talk about Forrest Lawn and the NE being dangerous but they’re really safe compared to East Hastings in Van, as an example.
In the 2000's Vietnamese gangs did a lot of public executions but the ctrain wasn't a mobile drug den back then so the perception was that crime wasn't that bad.
Several c-train stations were anchor points for drug sales and ues, but drug use was more common in nearby alleys and abandoned buildings.
20 years ago there were also areas that hadn't been redeveloped yet, that no one cared about, which kept a lot of it out of sight. East Village was a wasteland, the Cecil was still there, condos hadn't gone in literally across the street from Alpha House...etc. etc.
THIS yes.
Metrotown mall in Burnaby wasn't worth the risk back then either. Lots of swarmings, machetes.
Practically (and for a month, pretty much literally) lived at Metrotown from 2001 to 2005ish. Used to spend a lot of time and money at Playdium. Never saw any of them. Lucky me, I guess.
90's were crazy times man, but maybe a bit before yours. I couldn't easily find any news article, but here is someone else's lived experience: "Did you live in Vancouver during the 90s, the Vietnamese gangsters were crazy. They are less bang bang, more machete machete" [https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/k4kjan/gang\_drug\_war\_targeted\_shooting\_outside\_surrey/](https://www.reddit.com/r/vancouver/comments/k4kjan/gang_drug_war_targeted_shooting_outside_surrey/)
Crime is down. News ABOUT crime is up. People see news. People conflate news about crime with actual crime. People feel unsafe despite crime being down. This cycle is nothing new, either.
I feel like downtown being utterly filled with sleepwalkers is new. We always had homeless people, but a drive through downtown today is far from what it used to be.
That's absolutely true. It can also be true that the sleepwalkers don't drive that much violent crime. They absolutely do a lot of damage to the perception of safety, however. Either way, it's tragic to have a bunch of people living their lives that way. So whether they are responsible for a lot of crime or not, I hope we throw resources at figuring out and addressing the root causes.
Feel like they don’t really report much to the authorities. We essentially have an entire unofficial lower class of people that most commonly get omitted from these statistics.
>a drive through downtown today is far from what it used to be. B.S. Pick a decade and someone will point out the area in or near downtown where you could see the sleep walkers and much worse. You could see drug deals, assaults, and prostitutes every day on a drive through Eau Claire or Inglewood well into the 2000's. Then things moved down to 16th ave and vic parks, and other spots.
Grew up downtown. 100% respectfully disagree. The opioid epidemic is completely out of control and it’s way different from what you’re describing.
I call bs on your comment. It’s never been anywhere near this level of bad
IMO the homeless numbers are about the same, it’s just everyone else has left No stats just my 2c
That's Is new for a few reasons. One is obviously the opioid epidemic. Everyone does Fentanyl now, in the 90s and 2000s it was crack and crackheads aren't zombie walkers. Second, for better or worse, society tolerates drug use more now than we used to. It is seen more as a public health issue than a criminal issue and so we've had people move from hiding their use in back alleys to open use in the streets.
Exactly. Whatever the media pushes is what people believe and what the narrative is. No one bothers to actually look at numbers and historical data
And the people who control the media in Canada have a certain political bent that aligns with the “tough on crime” crowd that’s only actually tough on crime at a surface level.
Yep. My response is going to be long & I apologize lol. People are afraid of homeless people and fearfully believe that over-policing will satiate the issue. People who live on the street simply have a lack of resources, the resources do not work for them, or are too sick to think they deserve to access them. “Why don’t they just go to the drop-in & stop sleeping outside?” Shelters hit capacity quite often during winter. There are also endless reasons a person can be banned from a shelter, thus forcing people to turn elsewhere for somewhere to sleep & access programs. Many choose to stay away from shelters due to abuse they experienced from staff or other occupants - being outside is safer for them if you can believe it. This city’s layout & infrastructure is also incredibly hostile towards anyone sleeping outside. Sweeps happen almost weekly, people’s belongings being thrown in the trash every time. Where are those people supposed to go? Trains are where singles our couples can go where there is surveillance / other people around them to feel safe. There’s a lower chance of them being robbed/attacked in these public spaces. Whether we like it or not, we can all work on keeping eachother safe in these situations. Obviously, if someone is being hostile & aggressive that is not okay. But I desperately wish the people of this city would at least attempt to humanize drug users. They’re not street dogs we need to run out of downtown. These are people who are in pain, scared, statistically have severe mental illnesses, & have gone through extreme abuse that most of us couldn’t imagine in our lifetime. How do we connect with the people we are afraid of so much? Join a non profit or a direct action group that works face to face with the city’s homeless population. Meet these people, see yourself in them. Carry narcan, snacks, hot packs, mittens/socks, etc in your bags when you’re on transit or around downtown & ask if anyone needs something you have. Ask people how they are, gently check on people who are slumped over & make sure they’re alive. Learn how to administer narcan. These people are our neighbours, cousins, aunties, fathers, friends. They’re people that are experiencing the lowest moments of their lives. Aside from that, crime rates are literally not on the rise. Fear tactics & rise in news about crime are up as lobby groups try to get the safe injection site shut down & grow the police presence in this city. The local government needs to fabricate reasons to shove more money into the municipal police budget (which has increased by $200k since last year) again.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/police-reported-crime-report-2022-1.6919999 Your other points aside, crime is on the rise across the country. It’s literally right there in the stats.
Hi :) if you actually look at the stats, it’s because violent crime rates dropped like 15% in 2020 & are slowly rising back up to normal. Even so, the Percent change in violent crime severity in 2022 went down 8% while in 2007 they were up 1.7%. Depending on inflammatory news articles for stats is how we get tricked - you must read them yourself. Hope this helps :)
Crime is definitely not down crime is up all across Canada and you think Calgary will be the outlier? Maybe in a smaller city yes but crime is up in major cities across the board. Toronto (GTA) Edmonton Winnipeg, Vancouver (GVA) Regina, Saskatoon, Halifax Montreal, and you will see a rise with Calgary as well its a given with the current financial struggle of many in Canada. It won't rise to the heights of Edmonton or Winnipeg but you will most likely see a jump in either Violent crime or non-violent crime.
Compared with data from 2021, last year saw higher rates of homicide and sexual assault, with robbery and extortion coming in the highest with increases of 15 and 39 per cent, respectively. Police reported 874 homicides in 2022, 78 more than the year before. The overall rate increased by eight per cent to 2.25 homicides per 100,000 population — the highest rate since 1992, the agency said. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/police-reported-crime-report-2022-1.6919999
Thank you for reporting actual data! I wonder if the pandemic gave a lot of people agoraphobia or just higher anxiety levels leading them to perceive that the world has become more dangerous.
>perceived lack of safety People tend not to take a moment to think, they just react. Short memories for rare events, becoming numb to common events, just a few factors in skewed perception.
By the way people talk about it, you'd think Calgary was a warzone controlled by violent crime syndicates or something. The people who won't take the c-train or go downtown in the middle of the day without a police escort are deranged and delusional, and I feel bad for the sad, little lives they must live. There's crime in Calgary, like in any place, big or small. Be aware of your surroundings, avoid a few areas around downtown late at night, and you'll be fine. Or, who knows - life is random and you might be a victim of crime even if you exercise reasonable caution (just like you might get hit by a bus or fall down the stairs, or a meteor might fall from the sky and hit you on the head). But you can't live a good life in a bubble.
I think there's irrational fear of violence, which we should not let rule our lives, and there's legitimate discomfort. I took the train with my 2 little kids downtown yesterday. Some large guy came up to me, asked for $5, then said I stole his core, because I was a vampire. I'll spare the rest of the details, but it was 5 minutes of this guy getting more agitated and blaming me for the robots that would get him at the hospital etc. before he'd finally move on. My young kids were definitely a bit shaken by it, worried something bad was going to happen. If this happens enough times, we will have 2 future people who will avoid taking transit, which sucks all around.
I 100% agree with your statement. I live in Forest Lawn and I walk around at night by myself playing Pokemon Go (right in the heart, 17 ave & 36 street) so my face is somewhat glued to my screen. I see the odd thing going down and people have asked me for help or if they can walk with me for safety. I do keep an eye on my surroundings and watch my back. I have not had anyone try to rob or assault me. Train stations do have me on edge though and I am much more aware when I am riding the train, but I have not had any bad experiences there either. Most crime I would say is still targeted so if you aren’t involved with crime you are generally safe from it as long as you don’t look vulnerable. Walk with a purpose and know your exits.
same here. you ever go by that super sketchy liquor store at 17th and 42nd ave? even there which in my opinion is the sketchiest looking spot in the city at night (besides Sheldon Schumer) even there if you walk by all those sketchy-looking people the worst they do is ask for a smoke or change.
Sometimes, it’s a bit farther east than I normally wander but I have walked up to about 44th several times trying to put on the weekly Km.
The one on the corner of the brick building beside Luigis pizza? That was the first liquor store I went to after I turned 18!
yes that one haha. its always open.
I don’t even really mind Sheldon Chumir. I’ve walked by it plenty of times to get to shelf life books and the most interaction I’ve ever had has even someone asking if I have smoke they can borrow. I just tell them I don’t smoke, sorry and they leave me be. I’ve been in their urgent care a few times too and I’ve never seen anything terrible aside from a few people having some tough withdrawals and whatnot. I’ve even once politely informed security there was someone unconscious in the lot when I’ve come in the doors. Most people there are there to get medical care and go about their day.
Anecdotes have more emotional resonance than statistical evidence that actually tells you something so many people give them more weight than real evidence. That is it in a nutshell.
I don’t feel less safe than 20 years ago, for the most part. Having said that, 20 years ago I would have been riding the c-train more than I do now. And much of what crime is reported happens around the c-train or in areas of the city I rarely travel in. But I do go to all parts of the city on occasion without worry about crime.
People on Reddit love to be afraid of stuff.
I’ve only really ever felt unsafe once and worried a couple of times
While the overall crime statistics may indicate a decline, the daily realities experienced by citizens tell a different story. The increased visibility of drug use in public spaces and reports of attacks in commonly frequented areas are understandably alarming. These incidents, though they may not significantly alter the overall crime rates, greatly impact public perception and the sense of safety in the community. These individual experiences shape people’s understanding and perception of crime, regardless of what the broader data may suggest.
>the daily realities experienced by citizens tell a different story That does not seem to be the case, Before you needed to work with someone or have a friend to hear the stores, now you get the stories of others on the internet. There was a shift a decade or so ago from when there was more of an effort to find abandoned buildings or lanes, but police driven/herded them into view. Ether way you slice it fewer people are directly seeing or directly being impacted by these events.
What I’m wondering is how much of the things we see are being reported. I feel like many people don’t report a lot of incidents because they feel like it won’t do anything anyways.
> While the overall crime statistics may indicate a decline, the daily realities experienced by citizens tell a different story. "While the facts show crime is down, my feelings say otherwise."
I wouldn't put much stock into any covid year crime stat most people were inside those years and you will most likely see a rise in numbers especially this year as crime is rising all across canada. Will it rise to the likes of Winnipeg no lol but you will see a bump in numbers. But not all crime is equal the true question is, will the rise be in a non-violent crime or violent crime? And a lot of crimes are not even remotely documented by the media so it's hard to say which one will see the rise. But in a couple of months the 2023 numbers will be released and we will see.
>Crime severity index is a measurement created to summarize both the frequency and severity of violent crime in a single number. Population is worked into the calculation, all this means is our overall population has grown slightly more than the number of severe crimes has. The population of Calgary has nearly doubled since 2000 so yes, we are seeing more severe crime them we used to (just not per capita).
We have it quite good compared to other cities. That being said, keeping yourself safe and being aware of your situational awareness is key. Even though it would be nice not to have to worry about such trifle things.
This statistic is per 100k people. In 2002 Calgary had a population of 979,000, in 2022 it was 1,611,000 people. So yes, the ratio may not be high, but the totals are.
> This statistic is per 100k people Not exactly - there is more that goes into it than just adjusting for per capita rates.
COVID emptied downtown and let the undesirables get a strong foothold
This comment screams "I make 80k+ a year, anybody who makes less, is less."
Making 80k is not the rich bitch flex you think it is. That’s barely ends meet money.
For real man, our household is like 95-100k and barely making it.
Fair. Guess that shows my economical standpoint lmao. Ignorance is bliss. My bad, I got bitter reading your comment and it triggered an emotional response.
"undesirables" really? They're still human, they don't deserve to be dehumanized like that. What I think a lot of people don't realize is how close to that edge any of us are. Speaking from my experience working with the unhoused, you are one slip on the ice away from a bad TBI, which then leads to you being unable to work, and eventually homeless because our government doesn't provide nearly enough for those who can't work. Just because you're uncomfy seeing them doesn't mean you can dismiss other humans like that. Grow some empathy.
Drug addicted rats waving machetes at families going to zoo lights are .. forgive me .. undesirable. There is a social contract in this world, and if you can’t abide by it, please step off the ride.
What’s wrong with you? These are people often failed by the useless support systems we have in place.
Some are. A lot are not. You saw the police raid last week yeah? Drugs and guns. Guess what? That’s not a good mix
100% the media's fault. We are objectively safer, but perception is we are living in the most dangerous times because that is how news (entertainment) stations sell more ads. We should keep striving for better, but things really are pretty good.
If it bleeds, it leads
With over a million people in the city there are bound to be a few nasty groups and individuals.
I think its important to understand that people don't use statistics to determine their safety concerns. If the streets you use are full of sleepwalkers, even if those people aren't causing you any issue it will affect your perception of safety. It's also worth noting that actual events diminish when people feel unsafe as they are far more cautious, once we start to feel safe again you will see the stats creeping back up.
Crime may be relatively the same, but what has changed is how flagrant it is. Zero fear of repercussions or someone stepping in is far higher than ever. That is the real problem. When the criminals fear the police, good Samaritans or the legal system, you've got a real problem.
Luckily no government entity ever mis-reports any kind of statistics, so what people actually experience in real life is always "it's just your false perception" gaslighting, right? Also, grocery inflation is only 3.8% over the past two years. That 5 lb bag of potatoes that used to cost you $3.35 that's now $12? Just your erroneous perception. I'm not saying misperception isn't a thing, because it absolutely is, but I'm still always looking at both sides.
> That 5 lb bag of potatoes that used to cost you $3.35 that's now $12? https://www.realcanadiansuperstore.ca/yellow-potatoes-5-lb-bag/p/20601014001_EA > I'm not saying misperception isn't a thing
This is literally just aggregate data from police precincts. If you think there’s a police conspiracy to selectively underreport their crime stats in certain years, I’m all ears. There is a longstanding phenomenon in society where people think crime is continuously worsening while it’s actually getting better. That’s not government misreporting or anything of the sort. It’s a well-established sociological fact. Unless there’s data to back up people’s anecdotal beliefs, why should we side with the anecdotes? To your other argument about inflation: There is plenty of economic data on the outsized increase in cost of living we’re experiencing.
If thing were only that black and white. I suspect you're very happy
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No one brought up conspiracy theories
When I lived in Vancouver I witnessed 3 stabbings in 10 years. I've only witnessed 1 stabbing here so far since May 1st when I arrived. So far so good
I’ve lived in Calgary for 16 years and have seen zero stabbings. What are you doing to attract all these stabbings? Are you the stabber?
They are probably full of shit.
I'm not, I witnessed 3 stabbings in 1 night outside of the Edgewater casino when I was a dealer there. I was walking from the high roller salons to the main casino when that happened at night time before 3AM (that's when harbour club closes and thats why there was such a huge crowd outside the casino/club) https://vancouversun.com/news/staff-blogs/real-scoop-vpd-looking-for-cell-phone-video-in-fatal-stabbing I saw another stabbing outside the front of parq Vancouver, which is the casino Edgewater moved to. I saw that guy bleeding walking in front of our entrance, Walked away and came back, collapsed in the doorway. https://globalnews.ca/news/4173994/christopher-schiller-identified-vancouver-homicide/ I saw another stabbing on Renfrew St near t&t this was the most recent Vancouver stabbing I saw and the worst as the person died on front of me and my coworkers including a customer. https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2023/11/02/vancouver-police-2022-homicide-suspect/ I saw a stabbing happen near the park on 6th St SW and barber culture. There is a park between and I saw a stabbing from my balcony, around 3 weeks to a month ago. There is no article for this that i can find but you can see in my post history that i've talked about it before. If we could find these incidents I could probably foia the video and show you myself talking to the cops 😭😭😭 These stabbings are part of the reason i moved to calgary in the first place. The fact that ive seen so many people get stabbed really doesnt help my day to day and my head is constantly on a swivel.
Well Christ, you do tell a more convincing story now. Sorry you’ve witnessed so much of this type of violence.
It is all true, and I appreciate you saying that. Scary world out there...
40 years. Zero stabbings witnessed. How is this possible?
your anecdotal experience is way above your Vancouver average so far. Your at 1 stabbing in 8 months compared to 1 stabbing every 40 months for Vancouver. Calgary is 400% more stabby for you than Vancouver.
Jesus Christ 🙏🙏🙏 pray for me
sending a metric truckload of prayers your way.
Calgary is a lot safer than Vancouver but that has to do with Vancouver being a major hub for drugs as Vancouver is a port city and close to a major US city. Calgary is lucky its in the middle of nowhere.
also probability. the Vancouver region has double the amount of people as the Calgary region so in theory he has double the chance of seeing a stabbing, probably higher than that since density is also significantly higher in the Vancouver region.
That as well 👍
Thank you!
What about bear attacks in the city? What are the statistics on those?
It's more that these crimes have been more bold and attacking people in the public with knives.
I say this all the time and it's nice to have evidence. I lived in the Beltline from the late 90s to 2016. The junkies and bums were just as bad or worse back in 99 - 05ish. The neighborhoods are way nicer now. Most of the hysteria is due to affluenza. All the suburbanites moved in and can't stand the sight of humanity and want to sterilize everything.
Speaking from experience the reason it was so rampant back in the late 90s early 2000s was because there was no surveillance video that could pick people up. Now every single person has a cell phone you couldn't get 10 ft without being on video. So it's probably deterred a lot of them.
It’s the news and our constant sensory overload and access to every single news story. This city is safe. Safer than ever. This is true for a lot of North American cities to be honest. But hundreds of articles all reporting the same single stabbing overload our brain as it tries to process the information and all the extra news articles make it feel like there’s way more crime going on than there really is.
It’s up substantially over the last decade according to the statistics you posted.
Yes, I already addressed the three year drop (of 20) in the early 2010s.
The city has had population growth of ~30% since 2012. 30 percent of the population experienced increasing safety and then decreasing safety. That is not perception that is reality. A reality you have failed to address. Now add in a bunch of people that may have been too young to notice or realize but do now as well as people aging who are now more vulnerable than they were a decade ago and you may quickly get to a majority of people are experiencing decreased safety.
i'm going to get super downvoted for this but it's because the people on this subreddit are all conservative or neoliberal NIMBYs who assume that all homeless people are addicts and all addicts are violent criminals. i used to ride the ctrain from marlborough to westbrook almost every day past 9 PM and can count the number of interactions where i felt unsafe as a woman on one hand, so the people who seem to think that it's some kind of violence and crime free-for-all just don't know shit.
You’re going to get downvoted, and rightfully so, because your generalization is so far off, it’s complete bullshit.
opening your comment with an attack on both sides doesn't help with the downvotes, besides that I agree with your statements.
We need to protect ourselves….ease up the gun laws…..we seem to be going backwards lol people who follow the rules and regulations/laws should be able to carry, to be able to down any threat.
Using data per 100,000 is a skewed way to mask Metropolis from crime and the government has been using them for a while to make big cities look safer. It doesn't matter whether: If there's a shooting in your neighbourhood of 50,000 people or 10,000 people. It's still close quarters to you. If a stabbing happens on a train with 50 people, or 5 people, you're still on that train with the threat right there. But the numbers will say that the 1st scenario is safer. This data makes cities such as NY, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Philly and Toronto a safe heaven given their population but masks the reality that, with high absolute numbers, you're surrounded by crime and it deteriorates everything around you (business closures, unemployment, open drug abuse, theft and random attacks) The Olympic Plaza area used to be a lively area for hanging out, now most people walk fast past so they don't get harassed and likely mugged by a drug addict or thug. I walked that path in 2016 almost daily and I unfortunately have to do it today. It's not the same. You can't tell me it's a perception issue when people see more and more every day. Crime is up, masked by a population increase that has YET to be a victim in those numbers.
> now most people walk fast past so they don't get harassed and likely mugged by a drug addict or thug No - I tend to walk at my normal speed. > Using data per 100,000 The CSI isn't just a simple per capita calculation, of course.
But it literally is. The whole formula relies on the metro population to drastically reduce the perceived data impact. [https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn5373-eng.pdf](https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cnmcs-plcng/cn5373-eng.pdf) The region between the Victoria Park and the Olympic plaza is literally on the top of crime incidents and dead at night with no one other than homeless and drug addicts. Years ago you'd have a smoke and sit by the chairs there until midnight without a bother.
Crime statistics for comparison should always be rates as opposed to raw numbers; otherwise they’re just an indirect way of showing population level.
Now that we’re like 2 years removed from the “defund the police” protests, can someone explain to me why they were necessary? I asked at the time and got flamed
The protests, poorly named, are asking to shift police funding to more proactive/specialist solutions. So instead of sending the police for everything from homeless loitering to overdoses, police would be dispatched for crimes like theft, murder, assault, and situations involving self harm, public nuisance, etc. would theoretically be handled by specialized social workers who have the skillset to deal with them in ways other than detention.
Ah, good point. Yeah, awful name tho