Hamilton sees drop in violent crime

A new study shows Hamilton’s levels of violent crime remain above the national average, but violent crimes dropped almost 10 per cent last year over the year before.

According to a Statistics Canada report on police-reported crime, Hamilton ranks 95 out of 225 communities in overall crime severity with populations of 10,000 or more, but 56 in terms of violent crime.

Unlike general crime rates, Statistics Canada’s new Crime Severity Index (CSI), reflects the relative seriousness of individual offences and tracks changes in crime severity.

According to the report released today, the new national crime-measuring tool shows that the violent crime severity index in Hamilton, based on crime statistics reported by Hamilton police alone, dropped 9.78 per cent in 2008 from 2007.

That said, Hamilton’s violent CSI -- 107.2 -- is still higher than Canada’s 94.6 average, said Mimi Gauthier, senior information officer at StatsCan’s Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.

“Considering the size of Hamilton, we have been faring very well,” Hamilton police Chief Brian Mullan said today. “The perception of Hamilton as a violent place is not the reality. When it comes to violent crime, Regina, Victoria, Vancouver, Edmonton and St. John, they’re all ahead of us with higher violent crime.”