Regina residents feel safe, but also think crime is up in the city, according to the latest poll by Mainstreet.
The survey, which was released on Oct. 17, indicates 56 per cent of people feel the city was “very” or “somewhat” safe and 39 per cent calling it “not safe” or “not at all safe”
However, 45 per cent believe crime is increasing with 15 per cent believing it was decreasing and 34 per cent saying it was the same. The remaining 7 per cent did not know.
“That being said, it’s very common for residents to perceive the crime for residents to perceive the crime rate as going up even when the stats are going down,” David Valentin, executive vice-president of Mainstreet Research, said.
The perception that crime is increasing in Regina is accurate. According to Statistics Canada, in 2015, Regina saw an increase in police-reported crime and crime severity for the first time since 2003.
The city’s murder rate was recorded as the highest among large cities in Canada. In 2015, there were eight homicides, up from five in 2014. This came to a rate of 3.30 per 100,000 of population. Toronto’s rate was 1.25.
READ MORE: Heritage neighbourhood death declared homicide, victim identified
Among 33 Census Metropolitan Areas in Canada, Regina had the third-highest crime rate in 2015 and the second-highest Crime Severity Index.
This year, there have been six homicides.
Regina police also said in July they had seen a 333 per cent increase in attempted murder with 13 cases, compared to three at the same time last year.
READ MORE: Gun violence and property crimes spike in Regina
A total of 603 Regina residents were surveyed on Oct. 12, with a mix of landlines and cellphones used. The margin of error is estimated at +/- 3.99 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Comments