British Columbia and Alberta are among the provinces across Canada that saw the largest drops in homicides for 2024, according to Statistics Canada.
Statistics Canada indicated that for 2024, there were 93 homicides reported in B.C. for the entire year, down by 30 from the previous year.
In Alberta, there were 98 homicides in 2024, down by 19 from 2023.
Quebec had also reported a drop in homicides at 97, compared to 106 the previous year.
Overall across Canada, there were eight fewer homicides in 2024 than in the previous year. Homicides include first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter and infanticide.
“The homicide rate is considered a key metric for assessing the state of violence, community safety and social welfare of a country,” StatCan said in their report.
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In terms of percentage decreases, Newfoundland and Labrador saw the highest drop of 51 per cent, with homicides down to four from eight the previous year.
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The report noted increases in the other provinces across Canada. Homicides in New Brunswick nearly doubled at 18 in 2024, compared to nine in 2023.
Nova Scotia also saw a notable increase with 25 homicides, compared to 14 the previous year.
Ontario also saw a slight uptick with 282 homicides reported in 2024, up from 272 in 2023 but down from both 2022 and 2021.
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Manitoba and Saskatchewan also saw increases with 94 and 65 homicides, respectively.
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The national statistical agency said handguns were the primary weapon in more than half of firearm-related homicides, followed by rifles and shotguns.
They also noted an overall decrease in gang-related homicide trends, with 152 homicides compared to 174 in 2023. However, more youths — those under the age of 18 — were charged with homicides at 72 in 2024, compared to 65 in 2023.
As well, StatCan also found that those accused of homicide often had prior criminal records.
“In 2024, 42% of individuals accused of homicide had a record of either having committed or having been accused of previous crimes against a person, a rate slightly lower than in 2023 (47%),” the report said.
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Statistics Canada also said women continue to account for a disproportionate number of victims of intimate partner homicides, of which approximately 81 per cent were women.
In 2024, one in six homicide victims was killed by a spouse or an intimate partner, the report said.
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