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By LegalMatters Staff • Rural Canada is often thought of as a peaceful place. However, according to a 2023 Statistics Canada report, people living in the countryside experience more more crime than their urban peers.
“When considering population size, people living in rural areas are more likely to be impacted by crime,” the StatsCan report explains. “In 2021, rural police services served about 15 per cent of the population in Canada’s 10 provinces, but they reported 21 per cent of all Criminal Code and other federal statute offences.”
“Break and enters and thefts, especially motor vehicle thefts, have become a major cause of concern in rural areas,” says Calgary criminal lawyer Greg Dunn.
He notes the report found that the rates of break and enter and motor vehicle theft were higher in the Prairie provinces, especially Alberta.
“In 2021, police reported 769 break and enter incidents per 100,000 population in rural Alberta,” says Dunn. “Similarly, police reported 558 incidents of motor vehicle theft per 100,000 population in rural Alberta, a rate seven times higher than that recorded in rural Prince Edward Island.”
The homicide rate is higher in rural Alberta than its cities, he says, though there are fewer attempted murders in rural areas.
To help fight rural crime, the RCMP is exploring the use of drones.
“With speeds of up to 80 kilometres an hour, they can beat police to a scene by five minutes or more, and prepare officers and emergency services for the scene they’re approaching,” he says.
