Figures from Statistics Canada show Calgary is the safest of the major western centres.

Calgary was 19th on the list for overall crime and 17th when it came to violent crimes.

The federal agency says Winnipeg had the highest homicide rate among big cities last year and for the fifth straight year, Manitoba had the highest homicide rate among provinces, followed by Saskatchewan and Alberta.
    
StatsCan says overall, fewer crimes were reported to police last year than at any other time in the last 40 years.

Calgary’s overall crime rate is down but some crime rates were higher in 2011.

Impaired driving stats went from 3,268 in 2010 to 3,387 in 2011.  There were more cases of robbery as well; last year quite a few pharmacy’s were robbed of the drug Oxycontin.  Also up was youth victimization of crime.

The department is happy that the overall numbers are down, but says this is not the time to back off adding they expect to see a spike in reported child abuse cases in Calgary’s future.

CPS spokesperson Kevin Brookwell says that might not be because it’s happening more, but because more people are reporting the abuse.