New released by Statistics Canada shows that police-reported crime increased by four per cent in 2022 as measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI), which tracks the volume and severity of civilian law violations

This marks the second consecutive year the CSI shows a rise in crimes reported by police, with violent crimes reaching its highest point since 2007, according to Statistics Canada.

The data also shows that non-violent crimes, including drug offences or vandalism, similarly increased in 2022, but remained lower than before the start of COVID-19.

According to StatCan, the CSI has been steadily rising for five consecutive years prior to the pandemic, with a total increase of 19 per cent since 2015.

The numberssuggest that lockdown restrictions drove a sharp decline in non-violent crimes, Statistics Canada reported.

The CSI also revealed that violent reported crimes increased by five per cent in 2022, after a six per cent rise in 2021. Some of these crimes includes higher rates of robbery (with an increase of 15 per cent), extortion (with an increase of 39 per cent), homicide (with an increase of 8 per cent) and level one sexual assault (with an increase of three per cent).

Non-violent crimes rose four per cent in 2022, Statistics Canada reports, but was also 6 per cent lower than in 2019.

Rises in non-violent crimes in 2022 meant a higher frequency of property crimes and minor theft – involving items $5,000 or less.

Shoplifting, for instance, jumped 31 per cent in 2022, while motor vehicle theft rose 24 per cent.

Some non-violent violations, however, decreased since 2021.

Drug offences decreased by 17 per cent, while identity fraud fell by 11 per cent in 2022, the data shows. Impaired driving was also down, with a decline of 3 per cent.

In total, Statistics Canada reports that the annual crime rate jumped 5 per cent from 2021 to 2022.

This reflects up to 5,668 incidents per 100,000 population, the reports said.

Despite these increases, the crime rate in 2022 was still 4 per cent lower than the rate of non-violent and violent crimes in 2019.