What Is the Most Dangerous City in Canada?
Thompson, The Most Dangerous City In Canada
Canada is known as one of the best and safest places to live because of how kind the people are.
However, like any other city in the world, it has its fair share of crimes and insecurities, which are most dominant in some parts more than others. So which Canadian city is the most dangerous?
According to Crime Severity Index, Canada has experienced increased crime rates over the last five years. This is mainly because of non-violent crimes like verbal threats, child pornography, and shoplifting.
There are also instances of violent crimes, and Thompson, Manitoba, is the city where most of it happens. Thompson is among the biggest cities in Manitoba, with a population of only 14,000 residents, which makes you expect it to be quiet and peaceful. However, it has been ranked the most violent and dangerous city in Canada in the last three years.
Common Crimes In Thompson
Thompson has seen a 111.08% increase in crime, the third-highest jump in the country. It has a Crime Severity Index of 366 and a violent crime severity index of 570, seven times the national average of 82.44. With those crimes, some are more prevalent than others, including:
Assault, Homicide and bodily harm
Thompson has the highest homicide rate, 21.21 per 100,000 people, which surpasses the national average of 1.76 by a lot. The assault rate was 6,538.95 per 100,000 people compared to the national average of 457.01. The actual assault cases were 925.
The sexual assault rates were also extremely higher than the national average, being 339.32 per 100,000 people compared to the national average of 75.89. The actual sexual assault cases were 48 in a recent survey. Firearms incidents were also higher than the national average, with a rate of 35.35 per 100,000 people, while the national average was 7.58.
Theft and property crime
It’s not only the people in danger in Thompson, but properties also face the danger of being stolen or destroyed. The robbery rate in the city was 233.28 per 100,000 people, which was approximately four times more than the national average of 60.58, with 33 actual incidents.
Breaking and entering are also on top of the charts, with 749.33 per 100,000 rates almost double the national average or 431.24. The actual breaking and entering incidents were approximately 106.
While fraud may not involve the risk of people being physically injured in the process, it is also a high crime in Thompson, with a rate of 360.53 per 100,000 people compared to the national average rate of 349.2. The actual reported fraud cases were around 51.
The rates of drug-related crimes in Thompson are considered to be at an epidemic level. Impaired driving is the highest drug-related offense, with a rate of 1,095.72 per 100,000 people, almost five times the national average rate of 190.49. The actual reported impaired driving incidents were 155, meaning that there are very high chances of getting into an accident with people driving under the influence.
Cannabis production plus trafficking are also prevalent, with a rate of 127.24 per 100,000 people compared to the 22.5 national average. The actual incidents of people producing or trafficking cannabis were about 18. Cocaine trafficking is also very high in Thompson, making it the crime with the highest disparity with the national average.
Thompson’s cocaine production and trafficking rates are 650.36 per 100,000 people, which is over 32 times the national average of 20.03. Actual cocaine production or trafficking incidents were around 92. Other controlled drug production or trafficking crimes are also high, with a rate of 49.48 per 100,000 people compared to the national average rate of 31.58.
Youth crime
Thompson has a 445.36 rate of youth criminal justice act offenses per 100,000 people, making it the highest rate among all the cities. That is compared to the national average rate of 13.01.
What Causes Violent Crimes In Thompson?
Poverty
This is one of the main causes of violent crimes worldwide. However, in Thompson, Manitoba, poverty is a significant problem felt by most residents, and it has been reported to have the highest child poverty rate countrywide.
This has increased the number of homeless and unemployed people who resolve to violence or are vulnerable to other attacks. Many of these people resolve to also use drugs, which is a high motivation for violent crimes. This is the same case in Winnipeg, Manitoba’s capital, which also experiences high rates of violent crimes and drugs.
Youth gangs
Youth crimes in Thompson have seen a significant increase over the past years. Most violent crimes in the city involve gun violence, stabbing, and assaults, the majority of which involve young people, some of who are in gangs.
Over the years, police have arrested youths as young as 12 years suspected in stabbing cases. Some security forces speculate that these young people participate in these crimes as part of gang initiations.
Being an urban center, Thompson also sees the migration of many youths from other communities, increasing the number of youths, most of whom are unemployed.
Many residents believe that the increasing youth population has played a huge role in the increasing crime rates, especially in attacking vulnerable members of society.
They believe that because most youths are unemployed and poor, they result in drug production, trafficking, usage, and violent crimes to try and make ends meet. While these are the two most common factors contributing to high crime rates in the city, other factors like political, economic, and social factors are also to blame.
Unfortunately, most of those factors are deep-rooted, and they need more than the police to eliminate them. Therefore, that eliminates the chances of decreased crime rates in the city soon.
Conclusion
The crime rates in Thompson compared to the national average are disturbing, but fortunately, they don’t reflect the state of the whole country.
The rates show that there are one or a few places in every country with high crime rates, but you can still visit or live in other parts of the country and be safe. However, if not dealt with soon, the rates might spread to nearby cities and provinces.
Canada remains one of the safest countries globally, but you have to research and determine where you want to live or visit.
