Tisdale sees Crime Severity Index increase in 2020

TISDALE — The severity of crime in and around Tisdale increased in 2020, according to a Statistics Canada report.

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.

Tisdale’s CSI score in 2020 was 130.88, compared to 105.73 in 2019 and 75.41 in 2018.

Out of 93 Saskatchewan policing districts that received a score in the report, Tisdale ranked 42nd.

Police reported they dealt with 620 incidents in 2020. They dealt with 479 in 2019 and 471 in 2018.

Nearby, Carrot River received a score of 136.33, Nipawin 158.95, and Rose Valley 178.52.

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.