Maclean’s 2019 Most Dangerous Places list is out and when looking at the ‘all crime’ rankings, North Bay and Callander are 99th out of 237 communities.

The local Crime Severity Index (CSI) is 73, which is about two points above the national average.

With violent crime, North Bay and Callander ranks 60th while based on the five year change in CSI, the local ranking is 75th.

The report says rates of assault, sexual assault and robberies, which are based on 100,000 population are up locally.

Impaired driving along with cannabis trafficking and production rates were down.

Trafficking and production rates for cocaine and other controlled substances were up and were also above the Canada-wide average.

Fraud rates are also above the national average while break and enters and impaired driving rates are below.

Last year the city was 108th out of 229 Canadian communities, when looking at ‘all crime’ rankings.

North Bay’s Police Chief Scott Tod tells BayToday says he has issues with the report because of the word dangerous as no one else has used that word including Statistics Canada and police but that doesn’t mean there aren’t safety issues in the community.

“We listen to the community regularly when they feel unsafe or have a fear of performing certain activites in town whether it’s walking late at night or something else. We want to be responsive on what the needs of our community are,” Tod says.

Tod was asked by Bay Today if more police officers would make a difference.

He says yes but for a different reason that what’s outlined in this list by Maclean’s.

“The availability of members is decreasing due to occupational stress injury, post traumatic stress injury or other injuries police suffer in the course of their duties from experiencing traumatic incidents,” he says.

North Battleford, Saskatchewan is once again number one on the list this year.

Around the northeast, Timmins was 52nd, Sault Ste Marie was 66th and Greater Sudbury was 75th.

West Nipissing was 119th and Temiskaming Shores was 130th.

Check out the Macleans list HERE: https://www.macleans.ca/canadas-most-dangerous-places-2020/

(photo by station staff)

 

Filed under: callander, north-bay, north-bay-police-service