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So how safe are we?

A few weeks ago, this editorial space was used to discuss the safety of the Estevan area in the wake of a series of violent and unfortunate incidents in the community.

A few weeks ago, this editorial space was used to discuss the safety of the Estevan area in the wake of a series of violent and unfortunate incidents in the community.

At the time, it was argued that Estevan was pretty safe, but we were waiting for the annual crime severity index (CSI) from Statistics Canada to back our claims up.

Well, we now have the CSI report. And it would seem Estevan is indeed a safe community.

The report shows that the city of Estevan’s rating was up in 2018 to 86.99, but nobody should be surprised; the 2017 figure was the lowest it has been since Statistics Canada started tracking the data in 1998.

Estevan’s CSI rating for 2018 was the second-lowest it had been since 2002. 

Perhaps the most notable number, though, is that the violent crime severity index, which measures crimes such as homicides and assaults, was at its lowest point since 2004.

Estevan’s higher CSI rating in 2018 can be attributed to a higher non-violent crime severity index, thanks to such issues as an increase in vehicle thefts.

One other thing that should be noted is that among the six Saskatchewan cities that have a municipal police force, Estevan had the lowest CSI.

And for those of you in rural areas, the Estevan RCMP’s violent crime severity index was at its lowest level since 2006.

So while you might have some in the paranoid camp who claim that Estevan isn’t safe, and you’ll encounter some who think that the sky is always falling, we are doing pretty well when it comes to crime.

A lot of credit should go to the Estevan Police Service and the Estevan RCMP for lower crime rates.

Granted, a community is only as safe as its residents feel, but if you were to ask people in the community, most would tell you they feel pretty safe in Estevan. They’d say they feel comfortable walking around town at night.

Obviously, the CSI system isn’t perfect. For starters, it’s convoluted. Want to know why it takes nearly seven months for Stats. Canada to release the report each year? Because they have created this pain-staking system with all sorts of formulas and weighted crimes.

Granted, they’re calculating the numbers for every police department in the country, and they also look at the prevalence of the more serious and common types of crimes, but the system is still rather complex.

You would need an advanced degree in mathematics to piece this report together.

This report does show that Estevan still needs work when it comes to non-violent crime. We saw a spike in the number of vehicle thefts last year. And there’s a whole host of other crimes – mischief, impaired driving, thefts and break and enters – that fit under the definition of non-violent crime.

Stats. Can. might define these incidents as non-violent, but these are the crimes that leave us feeling a little less comfortable. They’re the crimes that force us to lock our doors and put bolts on our doors, and install alarm systems.

They leave us on edge if we leave our vehicles running with the doors unlocked for even a few seconds.

Ultimately, we’ll see whether Estevan’s CSI number is as good for 2019 as it was for 2018 and 2017. A few serious crimes already this year will push the number up. But it’s unlikely that the figure will be as high as it was a few years ago, when Estevan often rated among the top 50 in the country.