Is crime on the rise in Sooke? Technically, yes, but the explanation as to why seems to apply to many challenges in the community – growth.
Statistics Canada released its updated Crime Severity Index (CSI) July 22. The index measures the rate and severity of crime in communities and provinces across Canada. The index is determined using the incident-based uniform crime reporting survey.
In Sooke the CSI rose 3.89 per cent from 2023 to 2024, and has seen an overall increase of 43.53 per cent since 2020. The violent crime severity index has increased 15.75 per cent between 2023 and 2024. Since 2020, it has seen an overall increase of 64.89 per cent.
Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index ratings in Sooke from 2020 to 2024.
While these statistics may paint an image of a dramatic increase in crime throughout the community, Sooke RCMP S-Sgt. Greg Willcocks explained the situation is more nuanced than this.
"I would attribute some, but not all of that growth to the growth of the community," explained Willcocks.
"Sooke is a growing community and there's more people that are moving here, there's more people that are living here, but we also have an organized crime element that is moving here as well, and we're getting more big city problems."
The CRD estimated the population of Sooke in 2024 to be 17,128, roughly a 12 per cent increase from the population in 2021 when the last census was taken. That growth not only means more service calls generally, but also a growth in organized crime. The population of Sooke is estimated to grow to 22,399 by 2038 according to BC Statistics, and with that growth an increasing CSI may be likely.
So far this year, Willcocks explained that Sooke RCMP has received 10 per cent more service calls to date from last year, and 20 per cent more calls from this time in 2023.
"We're going to be well over 6,000 calls for service this year," said Willcocks.
To keep the growing community safe, Willcocks explained it was important for the Sooke RCMP to grow alongside the community. Which so far they seem to be doing, as Sooke Council recently approved positions for a major crimes section and rolled out 24 hour policing.
"This is the first time that we've had a dedicated section to deal with serious crimes and they can be investigated," said Willcocks.
"Part of their mandate is they are going to be tasked with investigating more serious offences, and part of that is going to be violent offences and incidents that involve organized crime, high-level frauds, arsons— the most serious stuff that you have in the community. That was an important step for us to grow our police services."
The numbers may give residents pause, but Willcocks further stated it doesn't mean Sooke is a dangerous place to live.
"Sooke is an incredibly wonderful place to live and a safe place to live.
"Victoria, for example, is going to see more calls for service than Sooke, and Sooke, for example, is going to see more calls for service than Sayward. It's largely a population thing."
It is important to note Sooke falls well below BC's average CSI of 92.98, with Sooke's clocking in at 79.5.
Sooke's increase is opposite a trend in much of Greater Victoria, which saw a drop in CSI for many municipalities. In Victoria, CSI decreased by 10.5 per cent, in Langford CSI fell 21.92 per cent and in Colwood it fell 2.79 per cent.
To calculate the CSI, crimes are assigned a weight that represents their relative severity. The number of police-reported incidents for a given crime is multiplied by the crimes weight.
