Calgary was ranked 27 out of 100 cities as one of the safest in the country, according to a Maclean’s article on the most dangerous cities in Canada.
The article shows the country’s most dangerous cities as Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Regina, and Calgary ranks 22 spots lower than Edmonton, which ranked fifth most dangerous.
Calgary crime expert Cathy Prowse said she is not surprised by the statistics because Calgary is an affluent city that doesn’t have the same socio-economic status as some of the lower cities.
“Our violence tends to come from more gang activity and organized crime than from (poverty),” Prowse said.
“Usually crime rate is correlated to socioeconomic status. Addictions, poverty — it’s vicious circle.”
She also said some cities with more crime often have a larger transient population, with people drifting from city to city looking for jobs.
“When people aren’t anchored into a community it’s easier to commit crimes,” she added.
Calgary police spokesperson Kevin Brookwell said while they are pleased with the numbers, they still have work to do.
“We won’t stop until Calgary is the safest city in the nation. We want to make the city as safe as possible,” he said.
Calgary ranked sixth overall for murder rate, a number that Brookwell especially would like to see decreased.
“We have the gang and organized crime activity related to the drug trade and it’s something we’re going hard at. These criminals have no place on our streets.”
