Lethbridge ranked highest for crime, Crime Severity Index results are in

Once again Lethbridge is number one but it’s not for a good reason. The 2021 Crime Severity Index report is in, and Lethbridge again scored the highest. Lethbridge’s score in 2021 was 128.65 with a seven percent decrease from the previous year. The CSI score monitors the severity level of police-reported crimes. Chief of Police Shahin Mehdizadeh says the type of crime that is bringing the overall number up is not violent crimes.

“A lot of them are property-related crime break and enters etc., opportunity crimes, lack of better words. In that sense, the crime obviously we are number one, but we also have to realize when you look at the geographic area, it’s not just City of Lethbridge, they are combining rural areas around Lethbridge, Coaldale and other communities that we have no control over how they are policed. When you look at the City of Lethbridge it’s on a major downward trend which we have to celebrate. The bad news is that we are still number one, “said Shahin Mehdizadeh, Chief of Police for the City of Lethbridge.

Meanwhile, Mayor Blaine Hyggen says in terms of other cities in the country, Lethbridge does well for keeping its residents safe.

“It really came on strong, especially with the opioid pandemic and you know what, I feel safe here, and I would recommend anyone to you know have a look at other communities and see how we fair because we actually do quite well. It’s scary to have those numbers that high and we just hope that with those support services that we can get them lower,” said Blaine Hyggen, Mayor of Lethbridge.

Hyggen says a resolution will be brought forward in the fall with the hopes of increasing the police budget, so officers have the adequate resources to help with crime in the city.