QUESTION:

We know that the North Shore is one of the most liveable places in Metro Vancouver.

I think it is one of the most safe, especially when we heard of all the gang violence and shootings etc. on the other side of the water this past year. What are the statistics on the North Shore?

Young teenagers have nothing to do Friday nights, often hang out at all hours drinking etc., and in groups trouble can occur.

Does teen violence lead to adult violence?

Can you comment please?

Margaret Dutilloy

North Vancouver

Hi, Margaret,

Thanks for your question.

You're correct that North Vancouver is one of the safest communities in Canada. According to a 2009 Maclean's survey and study of 2007 National Crime Statistics from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, North Vancouver is 70 per cent below the national average in its overall crime rate.

Of the top 100 Canadian cities by population, North Vancouver ranks as the 12th safest. We were 20 per cent below the national average for robberies, 57 per cent below for aggravated assaults, 70 per cent below for sexual assaults, and 30 per cent below for break and enter offences.

We had no homicides in 2007.

You've asked about youths, crime and a connection to adult crime.

Youth crime in Canada is statistically linked to many social and economic factors such as family, school and peer environments, exposure to substance abuse, poverty, and immigrant and aboriginal status.

In Canada, almost 20 per cent of children live in low-income homes, where they often exhibit poor health, developmental delays and hyperactivity.

In light of this, it is interesting to note that the North Shore ranks among British Columbia's wealthiest communities. According to Statistics Canada's Community Profiles, the B.C. average income for the year 2006 was approximately $42,200. In Vancouver, it was $41,500, Richmond, $41,000, North Vancouver District, $54,200, and in West Vancouver, $59,000.

Wealth is certainly not the answer to youth crime, but it plays a part in providing a healthy environment for growing children.

There is no question that youths who commit crimes often go on to commit crimes in adulthood. Lawmakers, leading thinkers and public agencies alike have recognized this connection, and have placed an emphasis on early intervention and the development of comprehensive strategies to address it.

The RCMP's strategy for youth identifies social development, finding root causes of crime and victimization, building community wellness and teaching problem-solving skills as the essential building blocks for a healthy, crime-free youth.

The RCMP in North Vancouver implements that strategy through its Youth Intervention Unit, Community Policing, Integrated First Nations Unit, and the numerous projects and initiatives they implement.

We work in close partnership with the North Shore Restorative Justice Society, North Shore schools, parent advisory committees, and various crime reduction working groups, to name just a few.

We also provide ongoing training for our officers to emphasize the value and importance of partnering with local community services, social agencies, parents, teachers and young people to reduce youth crime, and to equip them with the tools they need to make healthy decisions.

Underscoring all of this, however, is a simple truth, also borne out by many studies: a child will thrive when well-loved by caregivers who guide, comfort and discipline with magnanimity.

Without doubt, we parents are the best chance our children have.

Cpl. Peter DeVries

North Vancouver RCMP

Follow Peter on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rcmpdevries. Email questions for Ask a Cop to editor@nsnews.com or mail it to the attention of the editor, North Shore News, Suite 100 - 126 East 15th St., North Vancouver, B.C., V7L 2P9.