Crime in Greater Victoria increased by seven per cent in one year, with 6,310 criminal code violations per 100,000 people.
The data was compiled in the Victoria Foundation’s yearly Vital Signs report, which offers a statistical ‘check up’ on the region in areas such as housing, environment, standard of living and more.
READ ALSO: VicPD reports Victoria, Esquimalt crime rates on the rise
The report revealed that 128 Greater Victoria children and youth under 17 years old had reported family violence to police in 2017 – putting the region’s rate of family violence higher than that of the province. Total victims per 100,000 population was 222 in Greater Victoria and 180 in B.C.
In 2018 there were at least 36 senior victims of violence in the region and 833 reports of intimate partner violence – 649 from women, 184 from men. Police-reported intimate partner violence was up 4.6 per cent from 2017, when 796 victims came forward.
READ ALSO: Sexual assaults, extortion on the rise even as crime rates stay low: Stats Canada
While the rate of intentional homicide decreased by 0.8 between 2017 and 2018, the overall homicide rate is down 50 per cent since 1998, as is the total crime rate.
In April the City of Victoria expressed unanimous support for a regional police force and sent a letter to the province about improving governance of integrated police units. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth responded in July that police and law enforcement in the CRD is up to municipalities.
He also said he would be open to any proposals put forward jointly by CRD municipalities.
Victoria mayor Lisa Helps told Black Press Media that without provincial support for a regional force, she would rather municipalities focus on current and future integrated police units.
READ ALSO: Province will not take action in establishing a regional police force for Greater Victoria
With files from Nicole Crescenzi.
