The crime rate dropped in each of the country's nine largest metropolitan areas. Saskatchewan reported a crime rate of 12,155 criminal incidents for every 100,000 population, compared with the national average of 7,733. British Columbia followed with 11,586 incidents for every 100,000 people. Newfoundland continued to have the lowest crime rate, followed closely by Quebec. All three territories reported crime rates higher than any of the provinces.
Numerous factors contribute to changes in the crime rate.
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.