New report shows people in Saskatoon, Prince Albert don't feel safe from crime
Statistics Canada shows city residents worry about crime more than most in country
A new study from Statistics Canada shows people in some Saskatchewan cities don't feel very confident about their safety.
According to the study, only 30 per cent of people in Saskatoon were very satisfied with their personal safety from crime. People living in Moose Jaw and Prince Albert were even less secure, with 22 and 18 per cent of residents respectively saying they were very satisfied with their personal safety. Those are some of the lowest rates in the country.
The numbers coincide with the province's high crime severity index. Last year, Saskatchewan had the highest index numbers in Canada, driven in part by a high number of homicides.
While Regina's crime severity index is also high, people there seemed to feel safer. The report showed 36 per cent of people were very confident about their safety, just under the national average.
The study showed that people in the Prairie provinces and territories felt less safe than people living in the Atlantic provinces and Ontario. Meanwhile, people living in rural areas and small towns felt safer than people living in cities.
It also appears fewer people across the country believe crime is increasing. Only 10 per cent of Canadians believed crime was increasing, compared to 46 per cent in 1993.
The numbers came out of a survey conducted by Statistics Canada in 2014. People were asked a number of questions, including whether they felt safe using public transportation after dark and whether they believed local crime was on the increase or decrease.
The survey said numbers from Moose Jaw and Prince Albert should be used with caution, due to a small sample size.