Rural crime rates in north 400% higher than south

A new report from Statistics Canada shows that crime rates are dramatically higher in northern Manitoba than the southern part of the province.

Data released on Tuesday shows that rural northern Manitoba saw a crime rate roughly 400 per cent higher than the rural south, and urban areas in the north had a crime rate 600 per cent higher than the urban south. The data comes as StatCan reports a nationwide trend showing crime rates are worse in rural regions.

The crime rate is defined as the number of Criminal Code violations in a year, not counting traffic offences, that are reported by police per 100,000 population.

In the report, Manitoba posted a total crime rate of 10,599, whereas the rural north saw a rate of 39,545 and the urban north was 64,365. StatCan said this finding is consistent with a trend across Canada.

Speaking to the disparity in crime rates between northern and southern Manitoba, RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre told the Sun on Friday that it is well known to officers that they will be busy up north. He said the difference between north and south comes down to socio-economic factors that give rise to crime.

“When you consider these stats, for me the biggest takeaway is, when you’re looking at crime rates in the north rural being so high, well, the population that we’re dealing with is vastly unemployed with substance abuse issues,” said Manaigre.

“We see the direct impact of those issues, whether it be alcoholism or a drug dependency, or unemployment leading to theft, leading to, say, crimes against persons, we’re basically the direct result. We see it first hand.”

Manaigre said communities in the south have much better access to things like recreational activities, social supports, employment opportunities and lifestyle services that steer people away from crime. The difference between crime in the north and the south, he said, is that there’s fewer of these opportunities in the north.

“I think that’s your biggest reasons. When you kind of look at these numbers, it’s a whole bunch of socio-economic issues,” said Manaigre.

“When you have children that are bored and looking for things to do, this is when gangs take hold, and then that lifestyle begins. It’s just, it’s tough. Like I say, life up north is extremely difficult.”

Unemployment rates can be as high as between 90 and 100 per cent in many communities in the north, whereas in the south it could be as low as three per cent, Manaigre added.

Roblin, a municipality near the border that Statistics Canada used to differentiate the southern and northern halves of Manitoba, has a crime rate almost twice that of Brandon. The community last year brought a resolution to the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, asking the province to crack down on crime.

The resolution read that “the increasing crime rates in Manitoba have led to heightened concern among citizens for their safety and the safety of their communities.”

When asked on Friday about the differing crime rates in northern and southern municipalities in the province, AMM president Kathy Valentino responded to the Sun in an email putting an emphasis on communities such as Roblin.

AMM, she said, “continues to urge both the provincial and federal governments to implement stronger bail reform measures to ensure repeat, prolific offenders are held accountable — especially in communities experiencing disproportionately high crime rates.

“While we appreciate the recent provincial investment to expand the RCMP emergency response team in these regions, further action is needed. Strengthening bail measures is a necessary step toward enhancing public safety and ensuring that all Manitobans, regardless of location, can feel secure in their communities.”

Manaigre said solutions to bring down northern crime rates would include investments in people.

Having been posted in Dauphin at the start of his career, he said there is a need further north for assets like wellness centres, addictions counsellors, employment opportunities and more to root out the drivers of crime. Police in the communities, he added, work to identify underlying issues such as this and communicate with leadership to partner on solutions.

“From what I’m hearing in a lot of our communities, there’s usually a lot of infrastructure being developed for that reason,” he said.

He mentioned that when he visited Norway House Cree Nation two weeks ago, he saw the community was planning a children’s waterpark, and said it is a good example of the kind of work being done.

» cmcdowell@brandonsun.com