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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, August 1, 2014 | 4 Halton safest regional municipality in Canada -- again by David Lea Oakville Beaver Staff Despite one fatal police shooting in Oakville and one murder in Burlington in 2013, Halton Region has again been dubbed the safest Canadian regional municipality with a population of more than 100,000. The bragging rights, which Halton has had numerous times before, are based on numbers reported in the recently-released Statistics Canada's 2013 Crime Severity Index. Statistics Canada introduced the program in 2009 as a measure of severity of crimes committed in Canada. Crimes are assigned `seriousness weights,' determined by the number of people convicted of the crime who spend time in jail, and how much jail time those individuals serve. How it's calculated To calculate the Crime Severity Index, the number of incidents for each offence is multiplied by the weight of that offence. According to the report, when compared to communities with populations greater than 100,000 across Canada, Halton has: · The lowest Crime Severity Index and the 13th-lowest of all 304 reporting municipalities (25.54 in 2013, down from 28.39 in 2012 and 33.98 in 2011) · The lowest Violent Crime Severity Index and the 19th-lowest of all 304 reporting municipalities (20.10 in 2013, down from 23.22 in 2012 and 28.71 in 2011) · The lowest Non-Violent Crime Severity Index and the 13th-lowest of all 304 reporting municipalities (27.47 in 2013, down from 30.21 in 2012 and 35.82 in 2011) Comparatively speaking Meanwhile, Toronto's overall Crime Severity Index was listed at 59.15 for 2013 (down from 65.48 in 2012), while Peel Region received 42.08 (down from 48.19 in 2012), and Niagara Region scored 57.26 (down from 63.87 in 2012). Hamilton received an overall Crime Severity Index of 64.75 (down from 71.82 in 2012). Regina, Sask. ranked as CanaChief Stephen Tanner da's least-safe city with an overall Crime Severity Index 109.3. Halton police reiterated that 2013 was a record year for low crime in the region with crime rates dropping to the lowest levels since Halton became a region in 1974. In a March report to the Halton Regional Police Service Board, Chief Stephen Tanner noted Halton saw 10,804 criminal offences in 2013 -- compared to 12,076 the previous year. That's a 10.5 per cent drop in numbers, but translates to a 12.7 per cent drop in the crime rate, when the region's growing population is factored in, said Tanner. Consistent with Canada-wide trends Halton's decrease in crime is consistent with what is happening across the nation. Canada's overall Crime Severity Index declined by nine per cent in 2013 compared to 2012. According to the 2013 report, Canadian police services reported approximately 1.8 million criminal incidents last year, down by 132,000 over 2012. "These latest figures from Statistics Canada highlight the successful partnership between our service and the community to prevent, deter and reduce crime," said Tanner in a press release. The chief noted, however, despite Halton's low crime severity rate and overall crime rate, the local police are always working to further reduce the fear and inci- These latest figures from Statistics Canada highlight the successful partnership between our service and the community to prevent, deter and reduce crime. Chief Stephen Tanner Halton Regional Police dence of crime in Halton. In particular, Tanner listed traffic safety and enforcement, victimization of vulnerable populations, growth in illegal drug activity, human trafficking and domestic violence as areas on which Halton police will be focusing. "Our vision, `To be the leader in community safety and policing excellence,' is the focus of our service delivery," said Tanner. "Data released by Statistics Canada shows that we continue to be on the right path. We are the safest region in Canada, but we will continue to work to be even safer in the future than we already are today." YOUR CITY NEEDS YOU SPECIAL ADVISORS: TO REMEMBER 100 years ago, at an uncertain time, for an indefinite time, it took our families away from us, took our regular work and security away from us and profoundly changed the lives of countless Canadians. Please join the Toronto Star as we look back at Toronto's role, from A to Z, in World War 1. Including facts, stories and images that give a sense of the effect of the war on Toronto and the significant role Torontonians played in the war to end all wars. Don't miss this special remembrance, only in your Saturday Star. Paul Gross is an award-winning actor and filmmaker who brought Canada's war to the screen with his 2008 film Passchendaele. J.L. Granatstein is one of the country's leading historians and has written extensively on Canada's First World War. Wayne Reeves is the chief curator for the City of Toronto museums and helps develop exhibitions at Toronto's historic sites. The Toronto Encyclopedia of WW1. Saturday,August 2.