The 2016 Crime Severity Index (C.S.I.) from Statistics Canada has been released, and Thompson finds itself in the top three.
Thompson places second in overall crime (with a score of 284.3), first in violent crime (index score of 414.95), and third in non-violent crime (score of 236.17). North Battleford was first in overall crime.
Councillor Blake Ellis, the chair of the public safety committee, said in a release that we cannot accept the increase as business as usual and that public safety continues to be a top priority for the city.
Mayor Fenske said that they don’t believe that the stated increase is an accurate reflection of the day-to-day safety of Thompson as whole.
He added that the C.S.I. uses census numbers in comparing a city’s population to the crime stats, a number which multiple city officials have disputed as a poor reflection of the population that Thompson serves.