Poll Says Canadians Think Crime is Increasing

Recent Harris-Decima survey shows that Canadians by a 6:1 ratio, think crime is rising, this is in stark contrast to the official crime rate numbers.

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 (pdf file) likely to say crime has been increasing, while residents of Quebec (43%) are least likely to say so. Senior Vice-President Jeff Walker said. “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.“ Women are 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. 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.