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Humboldt places 13th out of 16 Sask. municipalities on 2020 Crime Severity Index

While the severity of crime increased in Humboldt in 2020, the city and its surroundings rank low on the Crime Severity Index compared to most communities in the province.
RCMP Hat and Cuffs
Humboldt ranks low on Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index compared to other communities in Saskatchewan.
HUMBOLDT — While the severity of crime increased in Humboldt in 2020, the city and its surroundings rank low on the Crime Severity Index compared to most communities in the province.

Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index (CSI) was released July 27. It measures changes in the level of severity of crime in Canada from year to year. Crimes are assigned weights according to their “level of seriousness,” which is based on the severity of sentences for crimes.

The index includes all Criminal Code violations, including traffic and drug violations and all federal statutes.

The CSI score within the City of Humboldt was 70.29 in 2020, an increase from 2019’s score of 63.63. 

Of 16 municipalities that received scores, Humboldt ranked 13th. Of 93 policing districts that received scores, the City of Humboldt ranked 68th.

The rural areas around Humboldt got a score of 62.38 in 2020, an increase from 2019’s score of 56.87. Out of 93 policing districts, rural Humboldt ranked 74th.

Police reported they dealt with 424 total incidents within the City of Humboldt in 2020, and 413 in the rural region. In 2019, the city saw 360 incidents, while the rural area saw 436.

As a whole, Saskatchewan had a CSI score of 141.11 in 2020, a decrease from 2019’s score of 149.64.

The highest CSI in the province was seen in Black Lake, with a score of 1,153.72. The municipality with the highest score was North Battleford at 421.52.

However, data for detachment areas with relatively low populations “should be used with caution,” according to Statistics Canada. Low populations can explain, to some degree, why index scores can be high.

  Rank 2020 CSI 2020 CSI 2019 CSI 2018 Incidents 2020
Saskatchewan   141.11 149.64 140.74 144,085
Black Lake, rural 1 1153.72 1,265.98 1,299.36 3,225
Sandy Bay, rural 2 971.14 921.35 698.22 1,489
North Battleford, municipal 18 421.52 444.36 386.34 6,375
Meadow Lake, municipal 19 371.38 347.31 344.75 2,083
Punnichy, rural 21 338.94 304.33 279.52 1,226
Prince Albert, municipal 28 249.28 279.31 239.39 6,889
Rose Valley, rural 35 178.52 216.48 192.3 708
Nipawin, rural 36 158.95 147.24 101.85 1,564
Carrot River, rural 39 136.33 159.15 120.91 484
Wadena, rural 40 135.39 126.54 92.41 664
Melfort, municipal 41 133 99.02 68.07 702
Tisdale, rural 42 130.88 105.73 75.41 620
Yorkton, municipal 43 128.56 155.6 149.35 2,437
Wakaw, rural 47 110.63 105.72 123.38 602
Regina, municipal 48 110.41 138.62 134.16 19,441
Weyburn, municipal 49 108.47 106.1 93.8 1,120
Estevan, municipal  50 108.27 90.28 90.51 1,196
Wynyard, rural 63 75.61 105.28 94.32 200
Melfort, rural  66 72.89 103.42 58.12 528
Humboldt, municipal  68 70.29 63.63 58.89 424
Humboldt, rural 74 62.38 56.87 44.44 413
Hudson Bay, rural 77 57.36 57.13 85.89 248
Watrous, rural 85 46.16 29.42 41.63 171
Warman, municipal 91 33.55 23.45 28.51 378
Martensville, municipal 93 30.66 43.72 37.92 384