By Andrew Dawson

Regina’s murder rate highest in Canada

Dec 2, 2014 | 6:49 AM

Based on population, Regina saw the highest rate of murders in the country last year.

Statistics Canada reports nine people were killed in 2013 compared to seven the year before. That puts Regina’s murder rate above Winnipeg, Thunder Bay and Edmonton.

However, Regina Police Chief Troy Hagen said Monday afternoon that one was missed.

“It is actually 10, not nine,” he told reporters.

The 10th murder victim of 2013 is Richele Bear. She went missing last year and police believe she was killed around that time, but murder charges weren’t laid until May 2014. It wasn’t counted in the report because it wasn’t classified as a murder in time to be collected.

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“Of course one homicide is one too many,” said Hagen.

He explains stopping a murder before it happens is very tough. Hagen stressed an increasing need to address the underlying issues and pointed out drug addiction and mental health illnesses as common factors.

There’s also the issue of gang-related murders, which Regina police say are tough to prove.

“Just because you’re a gang member and you commit a crime does not necessarily mean that the motivation is part of the gang affiliation,” said Hagen. 

Regina is also second to Kelowna for the most gang-related murders in the country at 22 per cent. That’s two out of the nine reported by Statistics Canada in 2013.

Hagen assured whether the murder rate is up or down, the police service continues to work diligently in preventing and solving murders. Nine out of the 10 murders have been cleared and with only one month left in 2014, there have been five murders which is half the amount in 2013.

Even though Regina’s murder rate was up, Canada’s was the lowest it’s been since 1966.

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