While this report does not attribute reasons for the recent decreases in crime, some of the possible explanations include the aging of the population, a healthy economy, and new approaches to both preventing and solving crimes. As in previous years, Saskatchewan and Manitoba reported the highest violent crime rates among the provinces. The national homicide rate has generally been falling since the mid-1970s. The number of homicides in Saskatchewan fell from 33 in 1998 to 13 in 1999, giving the province its lowest homicide rate in more than 30 years. The presence of firearms in violent crime continues to diminish.
Firearms continue to account for about one in three homicides.
Police reported 197,781 residential break-ins in 1999, almost 24,000 fewer than in 1998, the third consecutive decline. The rate of motor vehicle theft declined for the third year in a row, after growing steadily over the previous 10 years. Winnipeg had the second-highest rate, contributing to Manitoba's top ranking among the provinces. Drug offences on rise, impaired driving stable Only two offences have shown an increase over the past few years. Police charged 73,148 persons with impaired driving in 1999, virtually unchanged from the previous year.