HUMBOLDT — Humboldt ranks as one of the lowest communities on Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index within Saskatchewan.
Out of the 16 Saskatchewan municipalities on the list, Humboldt ranked 13th in 2018, with a score of 57.93. The highest municipalities on the list are North Battleford, with a score of 384.57 and Meadow Lake, with a score of 343.12. The provincial average is 139.16 points.
The most recent Crime Severity Index information was released on July 22. The index compiles information for 2018. Next year’s crime severity index will feature 2019’s numbers.
The Crime Severity Index measures changes in the level of severity of crime in Canada from year to year. Crimes are assigned weights according to their “level of seriousness,” which is based on the severity of sentences for crimes.
According to a Statistics Canada footnote on the index figures, “more serious crimes are assigned higher weights, less serious offences lower weights.”
The index includes all Criminal Code violations, including traffic and drug violations and all federal statutes.
Rural regions covered by police services were also covered by the index. The rural areas around Humboldt placed 70th on a list of 77, with a score of 44.5. The highest rural areas were Black Lake, with a score of 1,256.39 and Onion Lake, with a score of 888.24.
However, data for detachment areas with relatively low populations “should be used with caution,” according to Statistics Canada. Low populations can explain, to some degree, why index scores can be high.
The city of Humboldt’s score increased from 2017, where the score was 48.65, 9.28 points higher; however, within the last five years, the highest score was 73.42, seen in 2014.
In the rural areas around Humboldt, the 2018 score also increased compared to 2017. In 2017, the score was 42.38, 2.12 points higher. The highest score within the last five years was 54.84, seen in 2015.
Different forms of inflicted death, while having a relatively high weight, are significantly less than murder. Manslaughter has a weight of 1,837.57, while criminal negligence causing death has a weight of 843.93.
The importation and exportation of heroin has a weight of 1,592.54, while the importation and exportation of cocaine has a weight of 1,064.94. Meanwhile, the importation and exportation of crystal meth has a score of 223.47.
Yet possessing crystal meth has a higher score than possessing cocaine.
The unauthorized recording of a movie, with a weight of 55.72, is higher than weights for uttering threats, breaching probation, trespassing at night, theft under $5,000, and the weight of a prisoner unlawfully at large.
Written with files from Josh Greschner, Battlefords News-Optimist.
