The severity of crimes in Timmins has dropped to the lowest in six years, though it's still higher than the provincial stats, new data shows.
Every year, Statistics Canada releases a crime severity index (CSI) that takes a look at the volume and severity of crimes reported to police in regions across the country. It differs from the traditional way crime data are reported where each incident — whether it’s a petty theft or murder — carries the same weight.
The 2023 crime severity index was released on Thursday (July 25), with Timmins’ rate being 131.36 in 2023, a drop of 11.15 per cent from 147.84 in 2022.
It’s the lowest that the index has been since 2017, when it was 94.97.
For Ontario in 2023, the crime severity index is 60.88, up from 58.81 in 2022. The provincial violent crime severity is 78.52 and and the non-violent crime severity index is 54.34.
The CSI includes all Criminal Code violations, including traffic and drug violations and all federal statutes reported to police. Each crime is assigned a weight based on how serious it is, with serious crimes which are likely to result in prison time or longer sentences having a higher weight.
For violent crime, the 2023 severity index in Timmins was 174.68, a drop from 194.29 the year prior. It’s also the lowest it’s been since 2017 when it was 143.22.
The non-violent crime severity dropped 11.78 per cent in 2023, landing at 115.16. In 2022 it was 130.53.
In 2022, Timmins was 13th overall of the police service areas in Ontario for its crime severity. In 2023, it dropped to 24th.
Other detachments
In the area, the South Porcupine OPP patrols provincial highways and covers the areas of Matheson, Iroquois Falls, Gogama and Foleyet.
In 2023, the South Porcupine OPP crime severity index jumped 23.55 per cent to 100.48. It was 81.33 in 2022.
The violent crime rating is 195.38, up from 132.15 in 2022. The non-violent crime is up slightly to 63.4 compared to 61.7 the year prior.
The 2023 data for other police services in the district is:
- Kirkland Lake OPP (municipal)
- Crime severity index, 196.41. In 2022 it was 158.23.
- Violent crime severity, 381.41. In 2022 it was 225.54.
- Non-violent crime severity, 124.12. In 2022 it was 132.66.
- Kirkland Lake OPP (rural)
- Crime severity index, 155.78. In 2022 it was 68.97.
- Violent crime severity, 391.42. In 2022 it was 102.92.
- Non-violent crime severity, 62.92. In 2022 it was 55.98.
- James Bay OPP (Cochrane)
- Crime severity index, 158.21. In 2022 it was 116.62.
- Violent crime severity, 217.37. In 2022 it was 132.59.
- Non-violent crime severity, 135.9. In 2022 it was 111.22.
- James Bay OPP (Smooth Rock Falls)
- Crime severity index, 77.49. In 2022 it was 48.20.
- Violent crime severity, 142.68. In 2022 it was 110.81.
- Non-violent crime severity, 52.08. In 2022 it was 23.58.
- James Bay OPP (Hearst)
- Crime severity index, 68.5. In 2022 it was 90.75.
- Violent crime severity, 89.32. In 2022 it was 206.94.
- Non-violent crime severity, 60.76. In 2022 it was 45.08.
- James Bay OPP (Kapuskasing)
- Crime severity index, 100.42. In 2022 it was 97.42.
- Violent crime severity, 165.37. In 2022 it was 184.85.
- Non-violent crime severity, 75.31. In 2022 it was 63.29.
- James Bay OPP (rural)
- Crime severity index, 186.35. In 2022 it was 144.3.
- Violent crime severity, 264.86. In 2022 it was 246.21.
- Non-violent crime severity, 156.54. In 2022 it was 104.79.
Statistics Canada advises people that the data for police services or detachments with less then 5,000 people should be used with caution.
