For several years Kelowna, British Columbia bore the shame of topping Canada’s Crime Severity Index but things are looking up for the picturesque Okanagan Valley municipality.
Statistics Canada’s latest Crime Severity Index, which quantifies severity by taking into account the seriousness of crimes and other factors, shows Kelowna placing seventh.
In past years, Kelowna vied for the top spot on the index – often with its neighbouring jurisdiction, Kamloops. This year, Kamloops placed first, followed by Chilliwack, Red Deer, Winnipeg and Lethbridge.
Kelowna ranked as the number city when it came to crime severity across Canada for two consecutive years in a row, 2021 and 2022.
Now, things are changing for the better and Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas attributes the positive development to a sweeping safety plan that includes hiring dozens of new RCMP and bylaw officers.
“Kelowna was sitting No. 1 and No. 2 for the last couple of years and now we’ve dropped into seventh position and a lot of that has to do with the implementation of programs that we have done within the community to enhance visibility and presence, as well as safety and enforcement,” Dyas told the Penticton Herald on Wednesday.
“We have made a very concerted effort with regards to crime and safety within our community.”
Dyas, who was elected during British Columbia’s 2022 municipal elections has made public safety a cornerstone of his mayorship.
Last year, Kelowna City Council unanimously voted on a motion to support local Kelowna–Lake Country Conservative MP Tracy Gray’s private member’s bill, C-283.
The bill, also known as the “End the Revolving Door” Act, hopes to amend the Criminal Code and designate certain prisons as addiction treatment facilities.
Dyas pointed to his city’s “on-call” response team and a city task force dedicated to tackling crime reduction in the region.
“It was affecting our residents and our businesses and we have made a very concerted effort to turn the table with regards to where we fit on the crime severity index,” explained Dyas.
Kelowna’s efforts extend beyond the local region with the city advocating on the province and federal government to be tougher on crime.
