Although perhaps not fair to lay blame on him, why do I envision a political cartoon of Mr Rogers standing beside a trophy case full of shiny silver cups – “top crime 2010, worst road 2010, top crime 2011” etc

Judges, politicians and our bleeding heart justice system are to blame. Until our politicians, (the lawmakers) quit trying to fix the problem with hugs and actually change some of our laws and force the judges to do whats right according to the law, we will never see any improvement. Our justice system is simply to big a money maker for those employed in it to have them change it.

Looking forward to the next election where at a community forum the local Chamber of Commerce mouthpiece will ask, “How would you reduce crime in Prince George?”. You have one minute to answer. Politics, eh? Great source of amusement.

He didn’t comit the crimes. He just inherited the legacy of a crime-ridden city.

You are so dead on, Harbinger! The election process in PG and likely in other communities is a travest!!

well…. not only a travest, but also a travesty…. LOL

I think these figures are typically from 2 years prior to the reporting.

It takes a while to compile the records.

So the records could be 2009, possibly 2010.

Cue the spin doctors, “We’re really not that high on the list, more people REPORT crime, thats all!”

I agree the justice system is mostly to blame. The cops know who the bad guys are, and mostly where they are. Jumping through all of the red tape to arrest them is another matter, and the criminals know this and play it to their advantage. Even when they do get arrested, they’re released on promises to appear, etc.

Even with 2010, it would be more a legacy of 9 years of the administration prior to Rogers.

But hey, for some he is the scapegoat for all that is bad in PG. That is just the way it works. Comes with the territory.

JohnnyBelt.

This is a statistic about the number of crimes and the types of crimes per population base.

There are no statistics about solving crimes, incarcerating the criminals, etc.

We could have a high crime rate as well as a high enforcement rate per crimes reported.

The USA, for instance seems to have a high croime rate, but also a high enforcement rate.

Just because one has thousands of murderers siting in jail or executed does not mean that the murder rate is going to be reduced. The USA model is, of course, the best to point that out.

I remember seeing a story a while ago on BCTV that looked into the sentencing of chronic offenders. It found that the more times they appeared before the judge,the sentence would go down. Look at the local court logs, I have seen lots of people sentenced to one day in jail….ONE DAY….WTF is that going to teach them.

Some would say that it is cost prohibitive to keep these people behind bars, but once all costs are factored in I think it would be a wash.

A lot of them supplement their welfare checks by doing petty and property crime. Add to this the costs for public defenders, court time, police time, etc, etc. After a B&E a homeowner can also look forward to deductible costs and increased rates(if the underwriter does not drop coverage)

If the taxpayer is going to pay either way, I for one would like to see some of these people in the gray bar hotel.

I`m as giddy as a stripper in a schoolgirl outfit, when is the trophy presentation???

“This is a statistic about the number of crimes and the types of crimes per population base.

There are no statistics about solving crimes, incarcerating the criminals, etc.”

Gus.

I’m aware of what the statistic is saying. I was making a general comment on the justice system. I’m sure if we work hard enough, we can twist the statistics to suit whatever point anyone wants to make.

Is any system perfect? No. I do firmly believe that we have a high crime rate and that no matter what measure you want to use, PG would score high on it.

Wish I could say that I am surprised by this news, but I’m not. I was born and raised in PG and it has been obvious to me that things have really been going downhill there for the past 10-15 years. Just walk around town and keep your eyes open as to what is happening.

Take a look at who frequents the various restaurants, look at the vehicles being driven by younger kids, pay attention to the amount of grow op and crack shack busts, etc. If you open your eyes it isn’t difficult to notice the situation in PG.

It didn’t just happen overnight and it can’t be cured overnight. Unfortunately, it isn’t an easy solution. Perhaps tougher laws could help, but by the time those come into play the crime has already been committed so how do we stop it from occurring in the first place and why is it such an issue for PG?

I personally believe that the problem is simply too complex for what PG is historically used to dealing with. Let’s face it, these are big city problems trying to be tackled by a small town with a small town mentality. Drug use in the region is high, law enforcement does not generally have the same type of experience as larger centres in dealing with the issues it and the community and region at large is also naive about what is going on. For the criminals it makes for an easy environment in which to operate.

I’d suggest that a great deal of education would help (criminals love working alongside an ignorant population), as would seeking assistance from other jurisdictions that are more experienced in dealing with the issues.

JohnnyBelt wrote: “I’m aware of what the statistic is saying. I was making a general comment on the justice system”

Well, that really has little bearing on the amount of crime there is in PG. The justice system is similar across Canada. Criminal law is a federal jurisdiction.

For some reason, there is a big division between crime rates to the west of the Manitoba/Ontario border and to the east of that border.

Why does Trois Riviers have one of the lowest crime rates and Prince George one of the highest?

Are the judges different? Are the police different? Are the people poorer? Is the opportunity to commit crime better? Is it the water? The language? The culture? What is it and where is the proof for that?

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/03/05/homicide-port-coquitlam

From 2 years ago.

“Port Coquitlam, B.C., a bedroom community less than an hour outside Vancouver that’s home to about 60,000 people, has the highest murder rate in Canada. At 365 per cent over the national average, Port Coquitlam’s homicide rate is far above Edmonton’s, which comes in second at 133 per cent above the national average. It’s worth noting, too, that Port Coquitlam’s five murders in 2007 don’t include those committed by Robert Pickton, Port Coquitlam’s most notorious pig farmer and one of Canada’s most infamous serial killers.”
—————————————
One of the problems with reporting is that a low incident crime such as murder in a community with a relatively small population is that a couple of murders variance from previous years can move a community from the top spot to 25th down the list. Remove another and it can move to 45th on the list.

—————————-
Map of violent crime rate.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Crime_Rate_in_Canada.svg

Certainly appears to support the “wild west” theory. :-)

PG is a catchment city for the dispossessed from a region larger than Germany dotted with isolated impoverished communities that are reliant on government revenue, and these communities often only offer despair for their slavish citizens. PG is seen by them as a source of light where their is life and opportunity… when they get here a while they find out PG is no different than where they came from… and a life of crime in a city far from home is their next step.

We are no different than Winnipeg in that regards other than we don’t have a large enough population to dilute this obvious fact. As PG grows and as we find ways for people in small communities across the North to create opportunities for themselves in their own areas… our crime rate will go down… still there are areas of PG that are as safe as any city in Canada and what PG should focus on is building on that image and influencing the kind of people that want to live in that kind of city to move here and create opportunities.

Being seen as a one company town with monopolistic mentalities in every area of the economy, and where only money and political connections will buy you opportunities… this hurts and holds back PG far more then our problem of outsiders making PG their home base for a criminal lifestyle.

“For some reason, there is a big division between crime rates to the west of the Manitoba/Ontario border and to the east of that border”

Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that Western Canada is still “young”, whereas the type of crime in Ontario and Quebec had “matured” from the street level thuggery that is so common in BC right now. I’ve spoken to a few people out here who talked about how the biker gangs were very big in Quebec and Ontario in decades past, not so much now. Obviously the crime and drugs are still out there, but perhaps it is just more “civilized”, “entrenched” and “organized” out here as opposed to the various gangs “fighting for position” in Western Canada.

I also wonder if the demographics are just different. Much more European influence out here and more Asian influence on the West Coast. Perhaps that plays a role in how things are organized and operated. Culture plays a huge role in every aspect of life, so why not crime?

Probably easier to slip under the radar out there as well. You just know that with the Eastern seaboard of the US being in close proximity to the major Canadian cities out East, that border crossings, shipping lanes, air traffic and everything else will be stepped up a notch detection wise. I suppose this makes it easier to be involved with such activities. While still a big deal, it’s probably less under the spot light in a “remote” location like BC or Alberta as it would be where the bulk of the population in situated. Same goes for PG in the scheme of BC . . .

gus: “JohnnyBelt wrote: “I’m aware of what the statistic is saying. I was making a general comment on the justice system”

Well, that really has little bearing on the amount of crime there is in PG. The justice system is similar across Canada. Criminal law is a federal jurisdiction.”

And so what? I’m really not sure why you feel the need to pick apart my posts. Maybe it’s something where you need to feel superior to others, I don’t know. I’m not a psychologist. Feel free to pick this one apart if you like.

[rl]http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2011001/article/11523-eng.pdf[/url]

That is a link top the StatsCan source data which McLean’s used.

It states 2010 saw a drop of 10% in the number of homicides in Canada, 554, which is the lowest rate it has been at since 1966.

California has a population which is only slightly higher than Canada’s. It recorded 1,809 homicides in 2010. So the chances of getting killed in California are more than 3 times greater than in Canada and around the same as in PG last year.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2011001/article/11523-eng.pdf

Some people are more sensitive than others …… sorry.

The problems with the internet. This would likely not be happening sitting across a table from each other or skyping or whatever. Body language is more important than most people think.

I didn’t feel any safer when I spent a couple of months recently in Kelowna! There was a gang related firefight downtown across from the Casino and the bullets were flying everywhere ala Bonnie and Clyde! Plus numerous other incidents on a weekly basis! It’s unsafe walking downtown Kelowna when it’s dark and it is unsafe to walk the downtown of Prince George during the night time!

I also know that Kelowna is not used as much as a dumping ground for parolees as Prince George is.

Overall, Prince George is quite safe if one knows the town and uses some common sense!

Right on Dragonmaster! You are so right. It is the judges that want the creeps out there to do it again. Can you spell “recitivism” Mr. Justice? Do you want to learn to spell “vigilante”. The RCMP are just as disgusted by the creeps that hack someone up with a machete and then get off with “time served”. Dan Rogers never did anything while he was in office. How can he be blamed? He sat on his thumbs.

Maybe if I was in Danno’s position as mayor I would have hired some hangin’ judges for this town. You know he has the power to do that, doncha? Ya, right. Sheesh!

Crime stats are about as valid as climate change. We have a person phoning about someone on the street with a gun (never proven) and that is added to the list because it was reported.

“Crime stats are about as valid as climate change. We have a person phoning about someone on the street with a gun (never proven) and that is added to the list because it was reported”

I believe that the stats for the ranking are based on homicide, serious sexual assault and serious assault so the example you use I don’t think would impact the ranking?

Lets get real. Years ago, when he was still on the air, Arsenio Hall announced the highest B&E rate per 1000 people in North America was in Prince George British Columbia.(where ever that is he stated)
When you have gang bangers in local gyms wearing flack jackets in the afternoon there is definitely an issue here.
Now our new mayor has to pay back all the business that put up big money for her election. Sherri Green said yesterday- we don’t have money for more police. I guess not when she has to line the pockets that paid for her election.
Try the Gangsters Out blog for real PG updates
http://gangstersout.blogspot.com/2011/12/drug-violence-in-prince-george.html

I was not a fan of Dan Rogers term as Mayor, but how come our memories are so short as to lay the blame of all our problems on him? He was mayor for only one term.

Mayor Colin Kinsley had 4 terms at the helm of P.G. and our bad roads and high crime did not suddenly begin when Dan took over. I believe Kinsley’s leadership is a big reason we are where we are today.

I’m so proud of this Craphole called prince george,it is deserving…….lets go for 3 in a row,Heehaw folks..

Something I am unable to come to grips with is the police knowing who a majority of the people running the show in our community,and rarely do they concentrate on putting these people away for long periods of incarceration.Oh,I know that someone else will be their to take over,but it changes the dynamics of how these people are able to operate.When Billy Moore was murdered the way things were handled probably changed and things obviously got quiet for some time as they had to regroup under different leadership.If you look at the South Coast gang happenings over the years,as the Bacon’s and the UN leadership was taken out,things calmed down for a time up until recent happenings with the Daks & the Duhre’s trying to establish there control over that areas crime.You never hear about many high ranking gang members being arrested in this area as they seem to have an untouchable tag pinned on them by the cops,and as a result we are #1 in the rankings.