Kelowna RCMP analysts have dug deeper into Statistics Canada numbers that show that the Central Okanagan had the second-highest Crime Severity Index (CSI) in the country in 2022.

sa国际传媒淗owever, our score has only changed 5.2 points (4.2 per cent),sa国际传媒� RCMP Superintendent Kara Triance explained at a news conference Friday (July 28).

The national average is 4.27 per cent, and Triance added that several communities across Canada experienced far greater increases.

sa国际传媒淚ncluding Winnipeg at 20 per cent, St. Johnsa国际传媒檚 Newfoundland at 19 per cent, Toronto 14 per cent and Ottawa-Gatineau at 13 per cent.sa国际传媒�

Winnipeg also had the highest CSI nationally.

READ MORE: Kelowna area ranked 2nd in Canada for total crime

Crime statistics for the Kelowna Metropolitan Area (CMA) are drawn from Lake Country to Peachland. Triance said break and enter, fraud, theft, and shoplifting combined for 40 per cent of the 2022 CSI.

sa国际传媒淲e are tracking police-reported crime daily and using data to deploy resources and target locations,sa国际传媒� she said.

Triance added that her officers also continue to target repeat offenders, and have increased police visibility in communities.

The superintendent also gave updated crime stats to date for 2023.

sa国际传媒淎s of yesterday, in Kelownasa国际传媒檚 CMA, fraud is up 54 per cent. This remains our top 2023 driver.sa国际传媒�

Shoplifting was up earlier in the year but has dropped by one per cent, while break and enter is down 38 per cent. Theft from vehicles has dropped 33 per cent, and theft other is down 20 per cent.

sa国际传媒淲e will not wait for the CSI to be released in 2023 to tell us whatsa国际传媒檚 influencing crime in our community,sa国际传媒� added Triance. sa国际传媒淲e will continue to be proactive and data-led to reduce and prevent criminality in our region.sa国际传媒�

Triance added there was also a 33 per cent increase in reports to the RCMP online reporting tool.

sa国际传媒淲e have a phenomenal team of intelligence analysts that use that information to make sure we are deploying in the right areas and wesa国际传媒檝e seen a lot of successes from that this year.sa国际传媒�

READ MORE: Theft from West Kelowna distillery has police asking for help

gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
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