A sense of personal and community safety is essential to a high quality of life. Financial, physical, and psychological effects of crime reduce levels of trust within a society and therefore have an impact on social cohesion. Breakdown in social cohesion is thus measured most directly by assessing levels of crime.
The Conference Board ranking analyzes statistics on crime against people (homicide rates), and against property (burglary rates). Both forms of crime can have a major impact on the well-being of victims and on the wider society.
The total social and economic costs of Criminal Code offences in Canada were $31.4 billion in 20081—or $943 per capita—according to a 2012 study for the Department of Justice. This figure includes:
- $15 billion in costs for the Canadian criminal justice system (such as policing and court costs)
- $14.3 billion in costs borne by the victims (such as medical costs, lost wages, and stolen property)
- $2.1 billion in third-party costs (such as costs to other people hurt during the crime, as well as costs to run programs such as shelters, victim services, and crime prevention)
Reducing crime would free up funds for other programs that could improve productivity and competitiveness—such as education, skills training, health, or advancements in innovation and technology.