Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR)

Summary of changes

Activity on this program started: 1962 (UCR1); 1988 (UCR2)

Reference period of change - 2014

In 2014, 162 police services in all 10 provinces and 3 territories supplied data for the complete year to the UCR2 survey and represented approximately 99% of the population of Canada. The coverage provided by these services in the 2014 database is distributed as follows: 38.5% from Ontario, 23.1% from Québec, 13.1% from British Columbia, 11.7% from Alberta, 3.5% from Manitoba, 3.1% from Saskatchewan, 2.7% from Nova Scotia, 2.1% from New Brunswick, 1.5% from Newfoundland and Labrador, 0.4% from Prince Edward Island, and approximately 0.1% from each of the 3 territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut).

Reference period of change - 2013

In 2013, 154 police services in all 10 provinces and 3 territories supplied data for the complete year to the UCR2 survey and represented approximately 99% of the population of Canada. The coverage provided by these services in the 2013 database is distributed as follows: 38.4% from Ontario, 23.2% from Québec, 13.1% from British Columbia, 11.5% from Alberta, 3.5% from Manitoba, 3.1% from Saskatchewan, 2.7% from Nova Scotia, 2.2% from New Brunswick, 1.5% from Newfoundland and Labrador, 0.4% from Prince Edward Island, and approximately 0.1% from each of the 3 territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut).

Reference period of change - 2010

In 2010, 152 police services in all 10 provinces and 3 territories supplied data for the complete year to the UCR2 survey and represented approximately 99% of the population of Canada. The coverage provided by these services in the 2010 database is distributed as follows: 38.6% from Ontario, 23.2% from Québec, 13.4% from British Columbia, 11% from Alberta, 3.5% from Manitoba, 3% from Saskatchewan, 2.8% from Nova Scotia, 2.2% from New Brunswick, 1.5% from Newfoundland and Labrador, 0.4% from Prince Edward Island, and approximately 0.1% from each of the 3 territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut).

Reference period of change - 2009

In 2009, 153 police services in all 10 provinces and 3 territories supplied data for the complete year to the UCR2 survey and represented approximately 99% of the population of Canada. The coverage provided by these services in the 2009 database is distributed as follows: 38.6% from Ontario, 23.3% from Québec, 13.2% from British Columbia, 11% from Alberta, 3.6% from Manitoba, 3% from Saskatchewan, 2.8% from Nova Scotia, 2.2% from New Brunswick, 1.5% from Newfoundland and Labrador, 0.4% from Prince Edward Island, and approximately 0.1% from each of the 3 territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut).

Reference period of change - 2008

For the first time, information is produced on both the volume and severity of police-reported crime. The new Police-reported Crime Severity Index (PRCSI), introduced in the spring of 2009, tracks changes in the severity of police-reported crime.

In 2008, 155 police services in all 10 provinces and 3 territories supplied data for the complete year to the UCR2 survey and represented approximately 98% of the population of Canada. The coverage provided by these services in the 2008 database is distributed as follows: 39.2% from Ontario, 23.4% from Québec, 12.3% from British Columbia, 10.9% from Alberta, 3.6% from Manitoba, 3.1% from Saskatchewan, 2.9% from Nova Scotia, 2.3% from New Brunswick, 1.6% from Newfoundland and Labrador, 0.4% from Prince Edward Island, and approximately 0.1% from each of the 3 territories (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut).

Reference period of change - 2007

In 2007, 153 police services in all 10 provinces and 3 territories supplied data for the complete year to the UCR2 survey and represented approximately 94% of the population of Canada.

Reference period of change - 2006

In 2006, 148 police services in all 10 provinces and 3 territories supplied data for the complete year to the UCR2 survey and represented approximately 90% of the population of Canada.

Reference period of change - 2005

In 2005, 122 police services in 9 provinces supplied data for the complete year to the UCR2 survey and represent approximately 71% of the population of Canada.

Reference period of change - 2004

In 2004, the Incident-based UCR2 Survey had 120 police forces reporting to it, representing about 58% of the national volume of reported crime.

Reference period of change - 2003

In 2003, the Incident-based UCR2 Survey had 122 police forces reporting to it, representing about 61% of the national volume of reported crime.

Richmond RCMP moved from the aggregate to the microdata UCR survey in 2003. A lack of functionality within their Record Management System to distinguish between established and un-established offences has affected Richmond's crime reporting. This is having the net effect of artificially inflating their crime rate and lowering their clearance rate.

Reference period of change - 2002

In 2002, the Incident-based UCR2 Survey had 122 police forces reporting to it, representing about 59% of the national volume of reported crime.

Reference period of change - 2001

As of December 2001, 154 police forces/detachments were providing incident-based crime data, representing approximately 59% of the national volume of crime.

In 2001, a discrepancy in methodology applied by the forces in the province using the Ontario Municipal & Provincial Police Automated Co-operative (OMPPAC) system was detected. These forces report approximately one-third of the total criminal incidents for the province and include the OPP and about 60 small and mid-sized municipal forces. This discrepancy resulted in an over-count of less serious criminal incidents.

Reference period of change - 2000

Data accuracy - As of December 2000, 166 police forces/detachments were providing incident-based crime data, representing approximately 53% of the national volume of crime.

Reference period of change - 1999

Data sources - In 1988, a new version of the survey was created, UCR2, and is since referred to as the "incident-based" survey, in which microdata on characteristics of incidents, victims and accused are captured.