While violent crime has risen in N.L., this criminologist says province still among safest places
Adrienne Peters says there is more here than just numbers
While certain types of crime appear to be on the rise across Newfoundland and Labrador, the province is still one of the safest places on earth to live, according to one criminologist.
Adrienne Peters, a criminologist and associate professor at Memorial University, said rising crime statistics don't actually say much about public safety.
"It's important to report the numbers, to look at the numbers, to follow them over time and look for patterns. But in terms of our everyday safety, we are still incredibly safe," Peters told CBC Radio's The St. John's Morning Show.
"Our province of Newfoundland and Labradors is one of the safest places, not only in our country, but in the world."
Offences, both violent and non-violent, typically involve people involved in certain lifestyles or those who lack opportunities.
"They're not seeking to hurt other people, they're simply trying to meet their needs," said Peters. "But in terms of random acts, those are incredibly rare. We don't see that here."
Warren Silver, an analyst with Statistics Canada, said violent crime in Newfoundland and Labrador has been on a general upward trend since 1998.
"Overall, crime saw an increase of 38 per cent, violent crime increased 68 per cent from 1998 to 2023," he said.
He said homicide rates increased by 12 per cent between 2013 and 2023, and criminal harassment has skyrocketed in the same period, an increase of 101 per cent. Extortion increased 195 per cent.
"A lot of these things might not have been detected before," said Silver, adding some crimes are being reported more, which can lead to jumps in statistics.
A recent Justice Department poll that found people are feeling less safe than five years ago in the province. Respondents from 240 towns across Newfoundland and Labrador were split on whether they felt a complaint lodged against a police officer would be treated fairly.
Look beyond numbers
Peters said lower-level, non-violent crime is staying stable, but there have been "slight upticks" in violent crime.
She said it's also important to consider who is being most impacted by crime and underlying factors.
"I think what's really important to understand about crime is that it's just a representation of our communities and our overall health and well-being, how we're doing as a society," Peters said.
There are family systems, education systems, health-care systems, that impact individuals, she added.
When a person is faced with challenges early on in their life, and those systems don't meet their needs, Peters said they may see that "trickle" into forms of violence that brings them into the judicial system.
"I would just encourage people to kind of ask questions about what these numbers really mean and to remind them that these aren't random incidents," she said. "Individuals are incredibly safe in our province."
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With files from The St. John’s Morning Show