THUNDER BAY -- Statistics Canada has released the final numbers for Canada's homicide rates in 2013, and they show a downward trend nationally.
Despite the continued drop in the nation’s homicide cases, a number of communities continue to show a rise, including Thunder Bay.
City police had three homicide cases on the books for 2013, representing a four-year low.
Despite that, Thunder Bay reported 2.46 homicides per 100,000 people in 2013, the third highest nationwide.
The highest rate in 2013 belongs to Regina, which reported 3.84 murders per 100,000 people.
The Statistics Canada report also indicated firearms-related homicides declined in 2013, but there was a rise in the number of fatal stabbings.
Overall, the report concludes that Canada has seen a decline in the murder rate, which is a trend the government statistics agency attributes to a fall in homicides in Quebec.
While the report only looks at homicide cases confirmed in 2013, Thunder Bay's numbers have seen a dramatic increase in 2014 with 10 homicides recorded so far this year.
(TBT News)
