Non-violent offences are counted in terms of the number of incidents.  For non-violent offences (property, drug etc.), the basic counting rule is that one offence is counted for each distinct or seperate incident.  The number of non-violent offences equals the number of non-violent incidents.  The exception to this rule occurs when there is a theft of multiple vehicles from the same place at the same time, each vehicle would be counted as a seperate offence.  However, the theft of four vehicles at the same time from a new or used car lot would involve one offence only.

Data on incidents that come to the attention of police are captured and forwarded to the CCJS according to a nationally approved set of common scoring rules and definitions.  The reader should note however, that many factors could influence official crime statistics.  These include:  reporting by the public to the police; reporting by police to the CCJS; and the impact of new intiative such as changes in legislation, policies or enforcement polices.

Year-over-year comparisons should be made with caution as many non-criminally related factors can affect data from one year to another (openings, closures or reorganizations of police departments, redistribution of municipalities serviced among different police departments, significant population increases etc.).

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey produces a continuous historical record of crime and traffic statistics reported by every police agency in Canada since 1962.  In 1988, a new version of the survey was created, UCR2, and is since referred to as the "incident-based" survey, in which microdata on characteristics of incidents, victims and accused are captured.  For more information please click here.

Statistics Canada information is used with the permission of Statistics Canada.  Users are forbidden to copy the data and redisseminate them, in an original or modified form, for commercial purposes, without the expressed permission of Statistics Canada.  Information on the availability of the wide range of data from Statistics Canada can be obtained from Statistics Canada's Regional Offices, it's Web site at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/  and it's toll-free access number 1-800-263-1136.

Part of the 2007 increase in crime in St. Johns, NL and Saint John, NB can be attributed to changes in police reporting practices rather than actual increases in criminal activity. This would affect the provincial totals in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The categories may not add to the total for Canada and some provinces since there are two categories not represented on the table, "Altering, removing or destroying Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)" and "Total trafficking in stolen property".

The "adult" age group includes those age 18 and over, and the "youth" age group includes offenders under 18. Although almost all youth offenders are aged 12-17, there may be a small number of offenders under 12 years of age included in the data.

Figures may not add to total due to random rounding.

^a Prior to 2010, the fraud category includes identity theft and identity fraud, but in recent years these have been separated into their own categories. Therefore use caution when comparing 2010 onward to previous years.

^b Identity fraud and identity theft are new violation codes which were introduced in January 2010. Some police services revised historical data, and as a result may have affected some of the 2009 data; therefore these data should be interpreted with caution.

Theft of a Motor Vehicle

Theft of a motor vehicle is taken without the owner's consent. When a number of motor vehicles are stolen at the same time and place, one offence is counted for each vehicle.

Established Categories:

(a) Automobiles - include all models of automobiles and station wagons.
(b) Trucks - includes all models of trucks and buses designed to transport people or freight, including sport-utility vehicles, vans, mini-vans and motor homes.
(c) Motorcycle - includes all types of motorcycles with two or three wheels such as motorized bicycles, motor scooters.
(d) Other Motor Vehicles - motorized snow vehicles, farm tractors and other self-propelled farming implements.  Cranes, fork-lifts, graders, bulldozers and other self-propelled vehicles designed and used on construction sites, building and maintenance of roads and in lumber industry, army tanks, army jeeps and all-terrain vehicles.

The following are not considered as motor vehicles:  boats, vessels of all types, aircrafts, hovercrafts, golf-carts, power wheelchairs, lawn and garden tractors and non-comemrcial type snowblowers.

Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada

The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics (CCSJ), in cooperation with the policing community, collects police reported crime statistics through the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR). The UCR was developed to measure the incidence of crime in Canadian society and its characteristics. It can represent both the survey instrument itself or the aggregate form of the UCR data.

Youth

Refer to those aged 12-17 (inclusive).

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