Killer crown returns to Manitoba

By CHRIS KITCHING, SUN MEDIA

Call us Murdertoba.

In a year when Canada’s overall crime and homicide rates declined, Manitoba reclaimed the murder crown with a record number of slayings in 2007, a Statistics Canada crime report revealed yesterday.

Police and observers say it’s hard to pinpoint a reason for the sharp increase but pointed to gangs, drug trades, substance abuse and youth violence as factors.

“What’s really alarming is in the homicides 33 youths are accused. This points to increased gang activity,” said Tory justice critic Gerald Hawranik.

There are fears Manitoba may retain the title in 2008. As of yesterday, there were at least 28 homicides.

At 5.2 homicides for every 100,000 people in 2007, Manitoba had the highest per-capita rate in Canada. Most provinces saw a decrease.

Saskatchewan was second with a rate of three. The national rate was two.

Manitoba recorded 62 homicides last year, 23 more than 2006.

Twenty-seven occurred in Winnipeg, which tied Saskatoon (seven murders in 2007) for the title of murder capital of Canada with a homicide rate of 3.6.

HIGH-RISK LIFESTYLES

“That’s not a place we want to be. We don’t want to be No. 1 in any of these categories,” said Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen.

It’s the most homicides in Manitoba in one year since record-keeping began in 1961.

Michalyshen said it’s difficult to prevent homicides because many occur in the heat of the moment.

Many victims know their killer or killers and are involved in high-risk lifestyles, he said.

Homicide figures have overshadowed decreases in several crime categories, although Manitoba and Winnipeg remain near the top in most.

In 2007, Winnipeg saw an overall crime reduction of 12.9%, the third-highest decline of any major Canadian city, and Manitoba a 7.2% drop.

Mayor Sam Katz said he wishes people would focus on those figures instead of the homicide numbers.

“If you really want to gauge crime, I don’t know whether homicide is the proper barometer,” Katz said. “It would be nice if everyone just chose to focus on the facts and the facts are crime is down.”

Manitoba and Winnipeg remain No. 1 in auto theft, a category that saw a decrease last year and a significant decline already in 2008.

Those figures may be a bit misleading, however, because attempted thefts are counted.

With a decrease of 7%, Canada’s national crime rate dropped for the third consecutive year and reached its lowest point in 30 years.

Manitoba had the fifth-highest overall crime rate. The Northwest Territories had the highest and Ontario the lowest.

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WHERE WE SIT

Here’s how Winnipeg (out of 27 Canadian cities with populations of 100,000 or more) and Manitoba ranked in Statistics Canada’s 2007 crime report:

- Total Criminal Code 4th, 5th

- Violent offences 6th, 5th

- Homicide 1st (tie), 1st

- Robbery 2nd, 1st

-Total property offences 5th, 3rd

- Break-and-enter 4th, 2nd

-Auto theft 1st, 1st