Crime and Justice
Contents
The impact of crime
Crime is more than a minor inconvenience or distraction in our otherwise peaceful communities. The consequences of crime for victims can be devastating and long lasting. Physical injuries are visible reminders of harm done, but there are many less obvious impacts. Children who suffer trauma or witness violence, experience impairments to their brain development, which can affect their functioning well into adulthood. Adults who are victims of violence also may have longstanding problems with health, employment and relationships.
And non-violent crimes can have serious repercussions as well. A break in at your home can cause significant stress and feelings of vulnerability. Even minor property offences, when added up, create enormous trouble and cost. Items stolen from cars, cars "keyed," school windows broken, and wallets lifted from pockets are more than just annoying events. They fundamentally erode our sense of comfort and safety in our homes and communities, and the quality of our lives.
How bad is crime in B.C.?
People who think things have gotten worse since the 1950s and 1960s are right. Crime throughout Canada climbed in the 1970s and 1980s, but has been gradually declining since the early 1990s. It hit a 25-year low in 2006. Still, more work needs to be done to bring crime down. One in four Canadians report being a victim of some kind of crime in the course of a year, and crime rates in the West, including British Columbia, are generally higher than Central and Atlantic Canada. B.C.'s crime rate remains above the national average but it is also falling more rapidly than the crime rate in most other provinces. Violent crime forms only about 10 per cent of all reported crime in Canada, much lower than in the U.S. Nonetheless, the impact of this violence on the people who experience it, and those around them, is serious.
How people feel about crime and justice is just as important as the statistics. People's views reflect a combination of experiences and influences. For example:
- Your car was stolen last year.
- Your sister-in-law told you about attending court as a witness in an assault case.
- Your neighbour's son (a "good kid") was charged with possession of marijuana.
- You dodged people who appeared to be high on drugs while walking to a restaurant downtown.
- You saw numerous crime stories in the local newspaper and on television.
- You read an English murder mystery novel.
- You watched American shows like "Law and Order" and "CSI."
Not all second-hand information is accurate but, regardless of how we arrive at our beliefs about crime and justice, most people want to see the situation improved. We want to be safer, feel safer, and believe that justice is done when the law is broken.
Is anybody really doing anything about crime and justice?
Many individuals and agencies are working hard to reduce crime and make the justice system as effective as possible. Solid research evidence from Canada and other countries has given us some answers about effective ways of reducing crime.
- Police are using new technology and crime analysis to focus on crime "hot spots" and "prolific offenders."
- Problem-solving courts, like drug courts and community courts, are zeroing in on the underlying causes of offending behaviour and designing sentences that better protect the public by attempting to change offenders' behaviour.
- Correctional agencies are applying proven treatment programs and supervision techniques to high-risk and repeat offenders.
- Health and social service agencies are supporting these efforts with help for people with mental illness, addicted or who are homeless.
- Victim service workers are helping victims recover from their encounters with crime and reducing the chances they will be victimized again.
- And, most importantly, police, government agencies and local community groups are preventing crime from occurring in the first place, by reducing criminal opportunities and by supporting families and communities in raising healthy, responsible and law-abiding young people.
The most encouraging development in the past 10 years is that all of these partners are working more co-operatively than ever before. They are making sure their efforts have the maximum impact.
Role of the Criminal Justice Reform Secretariat
There are many creative initiatives across the justice system to cut crime and improve criminal justice. The provincial government created the Criminal Justice Reform Secretariat to lead and co-ordinate a number of these changes, and to share information about effective practices.
The secretariat is a small team based primarily in Victoria, with representatives from all parts of the justice system, and strong links to health services, employment assistance, social services and housing. The secretariat also sponsors innovations in criminal justice, such as Vancouver's Downtown Community Court and prolific offender management pilot projects.
Wouldn't jail and longer sentences be the real answer to our crime problem?
Preventing dangerous and persistent offenders from engaging in crime and causing further grief is one important element in improving public safety. But a crime control strategy that relies only on locking people up will ultimately be ineffective and unaffordable, a lesson learned locally, nationally and from other countries.
The Criminal Justice Reform Secretariat supports a balanced and evidence-based, or "what works" approach to drive down crime. This approach includes:
- community based crime prevention programs;
- collaboration between justice, health and social service agencies to tackle the root causes of crime; and
- integrated responses to dangerous and prolific offenders.
More information about this approach is available throughout this website.
