The Capital region is one of only a handful of major centres to see an increase in robberies over the last decade, according to new numbers from Statistics Canada.
The report released this week showed that in the 10-year period between 1998 and 2008, the greater Edmonton area, which includes St. Albert, saw an 11 per cent increase in robberies. The rate measures the number of crimes per 100,000 people.
The increase is in stark contrast to other major centres like Calgary, with a decline of 13 per cent, Winnipeg, where the rate fell 24 per cent and Vancouver and Montreal, both of which saw a 32 per cent drop.
On the other side, some cities saw a jump greater than the Edmonton area. Hamilton saw its robbery rate rise 18 per cent while Regina had 31 per cent more robberies at the end of the 10-year period.
Though the greater Edmonton area experienced 1,935 robberies in 2008, according to statistics from the St. Albert RCMP there were only 10 robberies within St. Albert that year.
Nationally the robbery rate is falling, with a 10 per cent decline. Just three provinces are driving that decrease — B.C. Manitoba and Quebec, as well as the Yukon.
The survey suggested that only was the decline largely in a few provinces, but also over a few years.
"The police-reported rate of robbery was down 10 per cent from 1999, although most of this decline occurred between 1999 and 2002," it stated.
Weapons used less often
Guns appeared to have fallen slightly out of favour for would-be bandits with a six per cent decrease in their use during robberies.
There was also a decrease in the number of other weapons being used, such as knives. The only area that saw an increase was crimes committed with no weapon at all.
The survey also revealed the changing nature of how robberies are being committed in Canada, with more robberies taking place outdoors and against individuals.
The robbery rate at banks and other commercial institutions fell significantly with an overall 34 per cent lower rate, which consisted of declines in bank robberies (38 per cent) and gas station or convenience store heists (32 per cent).
These results were balanced out by increase in robberies at outdoor locations such as transit facilities and streets.
Even though they account for a small number of the overall crimes, robberies at transit stations were particularly worrying for the survey writers.
"Robberies in public transit facilities have doubled since 1999, although they continue to account for a relatively low proportion of all incidents."
