OTTAWA – Canadian police, fuelled by an increase in numbers, are solving crimes at a higher rate than any time in the past decade, Statistics Canada reported Monday.
Police strength nationwide increased for the fifth straight year and, as of May 2009, the number of officers was at its highest level in 16 years, the federal agency said.
There were just over 67,000 police officers last May 15, up slightly from May 2008 but still below the peak reached in 1975.
"Police strength has gradually increased over the past decade following a period of decline throughout the 1990s,"said Statistics Canada.
"Over the same period, police-reported crime rates have generally been declining and police are solving crimes at a higher rate than at any time over the past decade."
But the gains came with a price tag:operating costs increased six per cent to about $11 billion, the equivalent of $344 per Canadian resident.
The increase of about 1,800 officers in 2009 was largely the result of gains in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.
As of last spring, there were 199 officers for every 100,000 people, up from 196 in 2008, Statistics Canada reported.
In 2009, Saskatchewan and Manitoba reported the highest rate of police officers per 100,000 population among the provinces. Prince Edward Island and Alberta had the lowest.
The city of Thunder Bay, Ont., had the most police officers per capita among 33 urban areas, followed by Saint John, N.B., and Regina. Their rates were double those of Kelowna, B.C., which had the lowest rate of police officers for Statistics Canada’s "census metropolitan areas."
Montreal had the biggest force, per capita, among large cities with populations over 100,000, followed by Winnipeg and Toronto.
Statistics Canada also said the number of female officers continued to grow at a faster pace than their male counterparts.
Canada had about 12,800 female officers in May 2009, up five per cent from the previous year. The number of male officers increased two per cent.
Women accounted for about one in every five officers, compared with about one in eight a decade earlier.
Statistics Canada also compiled a "weighted clearance index" to calculate the percentage of crimes solved by police, taking into account their severity. The index showed that police were solving crime at a higher rate than any time over the past decade. It was the fourth consecutive annual increase.
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