NCJ Number
151449
Date Published
1994
Length
133 pages
Annotation
In addition to providing demographic, economic, and social data on Canada's Northwest Territories (NWT), this report includes statistics on crime and the criminal justice system.
Abstract
On a per capita basis between 1986 and 1991, the NWT had a high number of criminal code offenses compared to Canada as a whole (32 versus 11 per 100 persons). Offense rates were also significantly higher for violent crimes in the NWT (5.7 times the national average) and for disturbing the peace (14.4 times the national average). After adjusting for population changes, violent crimes increased by 40 percent between 1986 and 1991, largely because the number of assaults and sexual assaults grew rapidly. Violent crime subcategories showing declines between 1986 and 1991 included homicide, sexual assault with a weapon, and robbery with a weapon. Certain property crimes increased over the 5- year period, such as breaking and entering residences and motor vehicle and snowmobile theft. During the same period, the number of adults charged with criminal code offenses increased by 43 percent, while offense incidence rose by 59 percent. Young offenders in the NWT committed three times as many offenses per capita as young offenders in Canada as a whole. Probation rates in the NWT were considerably lower than in the rest of Canada, 401 probations per 10,000 adults charged in the NWT versus 821 probations per 10,000 adults charged in the rest of Canada. Compared to Canada as a whole between 1986 and 1991, the NWT experienced much higher growth rates in welfare and community service workers, police officers, and security guards. NWT aboriginals indicated that common concerns included unemployment, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, family violence, and suicide. Detailed appendixes provide a chronology of key events in the NWT, an annotated bibliography, and a list of tables