REAL CRIME STATISTICS JUST GET IN THE WAY

Re: Harper's John Wayne stance dated, Ian Mulgrew, April 5

Thank you to Ian Mulgrew for his careful analysis of Stephen Harper's
misguided crime rhetoric. Even the premise on which the PM bases his
stance is flawed. For example, in that same recent speech Mulgrew
referred to, Harper said that our way of life is "threatened by
rising levels of crime." Statistics Canada, in its latest crime
statistics report, released last July, states that "the crime rate
has generally been falling since 1991" and that the 2004 rate was
12-per-cent lower than a decade ago.

Harper went on to say that "the homicide rate is on the rise as
well." What he should have said is that, again quoting the same
StatsCan report, "Canada's homicide rate rose 12 per cent in 2004
after hitting a 36-year low the year before."

In discussing crime in cities, the prime minister clearly wanted to
leave the impression that it, too, is on the rise, "especially in the
city of Toronto" as "witnessed by growing media reports." Instead of
relying on tabloid journalism as the basis for federal government
decision-making, Harper should refer to his own statistical agency
which reports for 2004 "large decreases in reported crime in the
census metropolitan areas of Toronto, Hamilton Ottawa and St
Catharines-Niagara."

It is apparent that Harper's propensity for hyperbole and unseemly
partisanship was not entirely left behind when he assumed the role of
prime minister. We expect better.

Bruce Ketchum

White Rock