Crime rates may be dropping but the cost of crime is rising to 85 billion dollars a year according to a new study released by the Fraser Institute.
The Canadian crime rate fell by 27 per cent between 2002 and 2012. During that same time, policing costs rose by 43 per cent.
The proportion of cases that take more than a year to make their way through the courts doubled to more than 16 per cent and the proportion of murder cases taking more than a year rose from 10 per cent in 1994-95 to 49 per cent by 2010. The study concludes the requirements from Supreme Court rulings have made it more costly to catch and prosecute lawbreakers.
The study also finds the average age of a victim of violent crime is 32 and about half of the victims of robbery and attempted murder are under the age of 24. 64 per cent of people assaulted are men with 72 per cent of sexual assaults being reported by women.
