Crime Specialization Across the Canadian Provinces

• NCJ Number: 226620
• Journal: Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Volume: 51 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2009 Pages: 31-53
• Author(s): Martin A. Andresen
• Date Published: January 2009
• Length: 23 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: French; English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

In exploring the long-standing regional pattern of crime rates being higher in the Provinces of western Canada than in the eastern Provinces, this study uses an alternative measure of crime, the "location quotient," to show that western Canada does not have higher levels of all crime in the nation.

Abstract

As used in this study, the "location quotient" is a ratio of the percentage of a particular crime type in a Province/Territory relative to the percentage of that same crime type in all of Canada. This distinctive measure of crime shows that the western Provinces do not have disproportionately high levels of crime for all crime classifications. Rather, different Provinces specialize in different types of crime. By this measure, the data show that although an individual may be more likely to be a victim of some type of crime in the western Provinces, this higher risk of victimization does not extend to all crime classifications. Determining that different Provinces specialize in different crime types, however, is only the beginning of crime analysis, because understanding why a particular crime specialization occurs is critical in formulating criminal justice policies tailored to countering particular types of crime. This involves a comparative quantitative, qualitative, and spatial analysis of each crime type in various Provinces in order to identify the particular factors that fuel one crime type in a given Province while the same crime type is not as serious under conditions that prevail in another Province. Through such an analysis, crime-prevention and reduction strategies can be designed to address those factors that promote specific crime types in a given Province, perhaps drawing on the circumstances and policies in another Province where the same crime type is significantly less prevalent. 2 tables, 4 figures, 10 notes, and 31 references