QUESTION NUMBERS

Crime is down across B.C.

According to statistics from the provincial government, the province
in 2007 recorded its lowest crime rate since Baretta, Barnaby Jones
and Barney Miller roamed the streets of TV-land.

Alas, the crime rate may not be at its lowest in 30 years.

What we do know from the annual report from the Ministry of Public
Safety and Solicitor General is that the reported crime rate decreased
in 2007.

But, as anyone who has been the repeat target of burglars, or who had
their vehicle damaged more than a few times, many criminal acts go
unreported, due to various reasons - rising insurance costs being
paramount among them.

In addition, drug statistics are not included in the crime numbers as
they are compiled separately, a practice that doesn't seem to make
sense as an overwhelming number of police man hours are used to wage
the war on drugs.

If police officers across B.C. are spending voluminous hours cracking
down on marijuana grow-operations, crack shacks and heroin shipments,
should that data not also factor into the crime-rate numbers?

Nevertheless, the annual report does give an illuminating and
fascinating look at crime trends from Abbotsford to Williams Lake and
all points in-between.

And beyond the discrepancy between crime and reported crime in areas
such as property offences, there is hard data that indicates society
may be softening.

For example, there were 88 homicides in the entire province last year,
a huge drop from the 108 recorded in 2006 - and a massive surprise
considering constant media reports of gangland violence in the Lower
Mainland and Fraser Valley.