Re: Crime in your area
 

I hold the view that crimes rates are fairly similar between the UK & Canada. The type of crime appears to be different with certain areas of the UK suffering from anti-social type crime, which although not that serious does affect people perception of safety and their quality of life. Personally in 29yrs in the UK (inc. London), I had my car broken into once. In 8yrs of experiencing Canada (or vancouver), I have had my house broken into twice.

The media does portray a depressing picture in the UK and a lot of crime in Vancouver that I'm aware of through my work, doesn't even get into the local papers or are not reported in the same sensationalist way. Certain areas of the UK are bad for crime that is true and if you lived in one of these areas and moved to Canada, you'd prbably think that crime is lower here.

Funny thing is that I think that the UK is more 'Americanised' with crime spiking in certain bad areas than Canada seems to be. It all seems a lot more spread out and less localised than in the UK. Conversely, certainly in BC, rural areas can have higher crime rates than cities.

Re: Crime in your area
 

When I parked in the Monoxide Towers I had my car broken into every week despite the sign "Doors Unlocked Please Don't Break Glass". Every week now I hear of someone who has been shot. Every day I see people taking, or obviously influenced by the consumption of, illegal drugs. Come to think of it, I break several laws a day myself.

I don't find it alarming but I'm with Alan2005 in taking the view that crime overall is about the same, though gun crime is much more common in Canada. Crime's more concentrated in Canada because most of Canada is ill suited to habitation.

Re: Crime in your area
 

This subject ran on another thread a fair while back. The murder/homicide rate in Canada is nearly twice what it is in the UK. But some people on here wouldn't buy it and were stating that statistically the results are compiled differently, murder's are usually between known people and don't affect wider community safety etc etc :rolleyes:

Re: Crime in your area
 

I seem to remember the argument was that the common petty stuff that makes life miserable for some was largely absent in Canada. And that there is a gang problem in (parts of) Canada.

Is murder not usually between known people then? Did that change?

Anyway, people can draw their own conclusions from threads like this regarding anecdotal evidence and personal experiences.

Re: Crime in your area
 

Yeh i remember crime being covered as such.

But as you answered earlier it was crime that efected anyone on here that i was pondering.

Seems that very few come into personal contact with crime in canada, or the uk either. Obviously no gang related members on here passing time in between shootouts then.

Re: Crime in your area
 

By and large there does seem to be less chav-related petty stuff. I know that this thread is about personal experiences in your area, but the other thread was about crime rates and some people wouldn't admit that the evidence that the murder rate is higher here and even when they did it was 'well it's all gang-related and doesn't affect me anyway'. It got my goat the way everything was portrayed as bad in the UK, but anything signifying that is was actually worse in Canada was quickly swept under the carpet.

I have personally experienced more crime in Canada in less time, than I have in the UK, but in broad terms I wouldn't say that there was a lot in it overall, except for the murder rate obviously ;)

Re: Crime in your area
 

Par for the course on this forum.

Re: Crime in your area
 

Not witnessed any crime here, witnessed a small amount in the UK.

My comment for what it's worth.... nowt in fact.

Re: Crime in your area
 

It seems people's perception of crime here is based around the fear of different ethnic communities while in the UK if was the fear of teenagers.

Re: Crime in your area
 

The quality of our lives was eroded whilst living in the UK by low level crime on a daily basis. Both cars broken into whilst on the driveway x 3, didn't bother replacing the cars badges after 4 times being stolen. Drunk, noisey kids outside the bedroom window, sat on the kerb till 4am every weekend, during the summer nearly every night, bottles smashed and sometimes put behind the wheels of the cars. Neighbour's window smashed through with a brick (he was a policeman), mine constantly egged. Shoes left on the doormat, hanging baskets stolen. Shed broken into I think you're getting the picture.

Here (dare I say it!) nothing! In fact, hubby's wallet left on the roof his car and a complete stranger turned up at the house with everything in tact and wouldn't take any money for his troubles. Leave the windows open when we leave the house, garage door is always up and bikes left all over the driveway. We do live rurally and you'd need a car to get to us. Feel very safe at night when hubby is away. It still flabbergasts our guests from the UK and they remember when England used to be the same, sadly I do! Very much depends on where you're living in the Canada but thats my personal experience. One other thing! when we were building the house not one thing got stolen from the building site, tools left (locked up) I know for sure in the UK they wouldn't be there the next day. Now I'm not saying its going to last, I just figure we've bought ourselves a few years before the crime picks up and it gets like the UK but enjoying it whilst it lasts.

Re: Crime in your area
 

Actually over here, I have left my wallet on top of the car, together with my MacBook and my first born and came back 3 days later and none of them were touched. It's amazing.

Re: Crime in your area
 

You must have lived in a right crime infested shithole back in the UK :thumbdown:

Re: Crime in your area
 

That's nothing, I once left my wallet on top of my car in Calgary for a week, and not only was it still there, somebody had left an extra toonie beside it to make up for the interest I'd lost by not having the money in the bank.

Re: Crime in your area
 

Isn't that just fabulous.

Re: Crime in your area
 

I was once asked if i could spare some change by a homeless fella while he was taking a shit in Kitsilano, Vancouver. I was tempted purely for his multi-tasking skills.

I'm pretty sure taking a shit off the back of a bench down the street is illegal. Never saw that in my little Yorkshire village therefore crime is worse in the whole of Canada :thumbdown: