Chilliwack's crime rate was the highest in Canada in 2024.
Chilliwack also topped the crime-severity index (CSI) in the country, according to the just-released 2024 police-reported numbers from Statistics Canada, by census metropolitan area.
Chilliwack's Crime Severity Index (CSI) was listed as 141.7, compared to second-worst Kamloops with a CSI of 129.9, and third, Winnipeg at 124.4. Abbotsford-Mission's CSI is 95.
Chilliwack's crime rate, based on Criminal Code incidents excluding traffic crimes, came in at 11,352, which is actually down by four per cent from 2023, compared to Kamloops' crime rate of 10,546, which was down 19 per cent year over year.
Abbotsford-Mission's crime rate was pegged at 6,380 in 2024, compared to Chilliwack's rate of 11,352, and the crime rate measures the number of crimes per 100,000 population.
Canada's CSI decreased four per cent overall in 2024, following three consecutive years of nation-wide increases, while Chilliwack's went down 11 per cent.
"This was the second decrease (for Canada as a whole) in a decade, with the other decline coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020," according to the news release from Statistics Canada.
"The 2024 the Crime Severity Index was just over one-third lower (-34%) than its peak in 1998, the first year CSI data were available."
The five violations that contributed the most to the decline in the overall CSI in 2024 were non-violent in nature, accounting for three-quarters (75%) of the overall decrease. In order of impact on the CSI, police-reported rates of breaking and entering (-11% of the rate per 100,000 population), child pornography (-15%), motor vehicle theft (-17%), theft of $5,000 or under (-9%) and mischief (-6%) were all down from 2023.
"Police-reported statistics may be affected by differences in the way police services deal with offences," according to the release. "In some instances, police or municipalities might choose to deal with some offences using municipal bylaws or provincial provisions rather than Criminal Code provisions."
Crime Severity Indexes are based on Criminal Code incidents, including traffic offences, as well as other federal statute violations. The base index was set at 100 for 2006 for Canada. The crime rate is based upon Criminal Code incidents, excluding traffic offences. Rates are calculated on the basis of 100,000 population. Percent changes are based on unrounded rates. Populations are based upon July 1 estimates from Statistics Canada, Centre for Demography.
