Term: Crime Severity Index

Printer friendly

Glossary Definition

Last Updated: 2024-07-08

Definition:

Crime severity index refers to how the Canadian government measures crime rates along with the seriousness of offences committed. It measures both the frequency and severity of crimes being committed. It measures all Criminal Code offences and violations of other federal statutes. It also includes traffic offences and drug offences. The severity of a crime is measured through average sentences as crimes with higher sentences have higher weights and so cause greater changes to the overall index. More severe crimes have a bigger impact on the index. The crime severity index is reported as a two or three digit number with decimals. This is calculated taking into account crimes weighted essentially from 0 to around 10,000.

Severity level of different types of crimes

Generally, the more serious an offence is, the higher the number assigned to it.

For example, murder (first and second degree) have a very high number (7,042) and accordingly, a murder has significant impact on the crime severity index overall due to the high weight assigned to it.

Conversely, a relatively very minor offence such as disturbing the peace has a weight of 9 assigned to it. The average weight for an offence overall is 69. Coincidently counterfeiting currency as an offence has a weight of 69 assigned to it.

Above average crimes include any kind of manslaughter or murder (even attempted), sexual assaults, more serious thefts such as with large amounts stolen, more serious assaults, many firearms offences, fraud, luring those under 18 via a computer.

Below average crimes include uttering threats, harassment, mischief, less serious thefts such as theft under $5,000, the least serious kinds of assault, failure to appear for court, and disturbing the peace.

Related terms 

• Crown Appeal
• Crown Opinion Diversion
• Post-Charge Diversion
• Pre-Charge Diversion

Links 

• SSC Annual Meeting the methodology of the police­reported crime severity index
• Statistics Canada Crime Severity Index of crime
• Statistics Canada Examples of weights for the Crime Severity Index