Canadians Say Crime is Increasing

Newly announced criminal justice initiatives strike a positive chord

Harris/Decima - According to Senior Vice-President Jeff Walker: “The two new justice proposals announced last week by the Conservatives were met with approval by a majority of Canadians, which our data indicates owes to heightened concern about crime nationwide.” “Across the country, but particularly among residents of BC, Alberta, and among females, there is a very widely held belief that crime is on the rise”.

The results reveal:

• In stark contrast to the official crime rate numbers, very few believe crime is on the decline – by a 6:1 ratio, Canadians think crime is rising. Overall, 57% believe crime in Canada has been increasing over the past couple of years, while 30% believe it has remained relatively the same and 10% believe crime has decreased nationally over the past couple of years. Residents of Alberta (73%) and BC (69%) are the most likely to say crime has been increasing, while residents of Quebec (43%) are least likely to say so.

• Women and men view this issue quite differently, women being much more likely to believe crime is on the rise. While a plurality of men (49%) said crime has been increasing, women (65%) were much more inclined to agree with this viewpoint. Just 7% of women believe crime has been decreasing over the past couple of years.

• While more than 60% express confidence in the Justice System, a sizeable minority lacks confidence, particularly in BC where the Dziekanski case has clearly affected perceptions. Nationally, 61% said they were very or somewhat confident in the Canadian Justice System, while 37% were either not very or not at all confident. Regionally, Ontarians (67%) express the most confidence in the system, while British Columbians (45%) are the most reluctant to express confidence in the system.

• Two recently proposed changes to the Canadian Justice System by the Conservative government are seen positively by a majority of Canadians, including a majority of those in Quebec, where there has historically been more resistance to toughening the Criminal Justice system. o One proposal, which would change the way the crime rate is measured in Canada to one where individual Canadians would respond to a victimization survey rather than through a system where criminal reports to police are compiled was supported by 54% of Canadians, and opposed by 33%. o Another proposal, to no longer allow time served before a conviction to be counted as a”2 for 1” when judges hand out sentences garners similar levels of support. Fully 58% of respondents support this initiative, while 34% are opposed. Support is highest in the province of Quebec, where 65% support this idea.