Kelowna residents, business owners say Crime Severity Index not the full picture

Kelowna, British Columbia, has seen a 4.5% decrease in the severity of police-reported crime, moving it to ninth among Canadian census metropolitan areas. However, this official data does not align with the lived experiences of many residents and business owners, who report persistent concerns about public safety.

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I think it is going down, hopefully. We can only hope. Kelowna is a wonderful place, so let’s just keep positive.

Residents like Candy Van Hees express hope for continued improvement, but others, such as Alfreda Joseph, believe crime is actually increasing. Sharon Kenney suggests that the statistics might be misleading because people are no longer reporting every incident. This sentiment is strongly echoed by local business owners.

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It’s not down. I think it’s up. There’s a lot of crime that goes on around here.

David Lea, owner of Toshido Mixed Martial Arts, stated that his business frequently encounters social disorder and crime, including deliberate fires and drug use. He explained that he no longer reports every incident to the police, as it would be a daily occurrence. Lea believes many business owners share this frustration, questioning the point of reporting when they feel no action will be taken.

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I personally think people just aren’t reporting it anymore. Where I live, which is off Springfield, there’s a lot of crime.

The Kelowna RCMP acknowledged that the Crime Severity Index is just one measure and doesn't capture the full picture. Cpl. Steven Lang noted that public perception of safety is crucial and that the index does not include calls for service related to public disorder. The police department stated that public safety remains a top priority and that they are working with community partners to address these issues.

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I think it is the kind of rhetoric that people are getting pretty tired of hearing. We keep being told that crime is down, but we’re just not seeing it in the streets.