Duncan, BC Mayor Defends Crime Severity Index Ranking Amid Controversy

Duncan Crime Severity Index Statistics Canada Michelle Staples Cowichan Valley

Statistics Canada’s 2025 Crime Severity Index (CSI) report placed Duncan, British Columbia, at the top of the province’s rankings. The city’s officials say the figure does not fully reflect community safety. Mayor Michelle Staples emphasized that “people deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighbourhoods, and downtown” and warned against letting a “deeply skewed statistic” define Duncan. She called for more provincial and federal resources for housing, mental‑health, addiction and justice‑system services.

The CSI is a weighted measure that accounts for both the volume and seriousness of police‑reported offences, then divides the total by the resident population. Because Duncan’s population is just over 5,000, the index can be inflated, especially as the city serves as a commercial and service hub for the wider Cowichan Valley, reaching tens of thousands of people. RCMP Staff Sergeant Ken Beard noted that Duncan shares many “core city” characteristics with larger urban centres despite its small size, and highlighted a high concentration of offences among individuals experiencing homelessness.

Entities

City of Duncan · City of Duncan (Duncan, British Columbia) · Cowichan Valley · Michelle Staples · North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP · Statistics Canada

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] The Crime Severity Index measures both the volume and seriousness of police‑reported crime, assigning different weights based on sentencing data, and divides the weighted total by resident population. ladysmithchronicle.com · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · cowichanvalleycitizen.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Duncan serves as the commercial, social and service hub for the broader Cowichan Valley region, serving tens of thousands of people. ladysmithchronicle.com · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · cowichanvalleycitizen.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Quarterly crime reports are presented publicly to city council by the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP. ladysmithchronicle.com · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · cowichanvalleycitizen.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Duncan’s population is just over 5,000 residents. ladysmithchronicle.com · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · cowichanvalleycitizen.com
[● 3 SOURCES] A high concentration of reported offences in Duncan involves individuals experiencing homelessness. ladysmithchronicle.com · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · cowichanvalleycitizen.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Statistics Canada ranked Duncan as having the highest Crime Severity Index in British Columbia in its 2025 report. ladysmithchronicle.com · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · cowichanvalleycitizen.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Mayor Michelle Staples said residents deserve to feel safe and the city will advocate for housing, mental‑health, addiction and justice system resources. ladysmithchronicle.com · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · cowichanvalleycitizen.com
[● 3 SOURCES] North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP Staff Sergeant Ken Beard said Duncan has many core‑city characteristics of larger urban centres despite its small population. ladysmithchronicle.com · chemainusvalleycourier.ca · cowichanvalleycitizen.com