Do You Operate A Depanneur In A Region At Risk?

Security of people and protection of goods are an integral part of running a convenience store.

Fortunately, Quebec is a very safe place in general, with overall crime data that have been steadily declining for many years, which is very encouraging.

For example, in terms of robberies (armed, etc.), Quebec recorded 3,707 events in 2016 out of a total of 21,806 in Canada. And while it represents about 24% of the Canadian population, Quebec accounted for less than 17% of total robberies. So convenience store owners can rightly feel fortunate to work in a province where the proportion of this type of crime is much less prevalent than the country’s average.

However, there is always the risk of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. In this regard, it is useful to know the crime profile of the community in which one works in order to be well aware of the risk involved.

And in Quebec, as elsewhere, there are places more at risk than others.

Statistics Canada updated a month ago a series of statistics on crime in all provinces. To compare apples with apples, it created an indicator called “Crime Severity Index”.

This index includes all Criminal Code offenses, including traffic offenses, as well as drug offenses and all offenses under federal statutes. It actually measures changes in the level of seriousness of crime in Canada from year to year. All crimes are attributed a weight based on their seriousness. The level of severity is based on the current sentencing of the courts in all provinces and territories. The more serious crimes have higher weights, and the less serious crimes, lower weights. As a result, more serious offenses have a more pronounced effect on changes in the index.

Here is a cross-section of the regions most and least at risk of serious crime in Quebec.

Less-at-risk regions:

• Chaudière-Appalaches Region: 28.84
  • The Etchemins: 21.54
  • Bellechasse: 27.98
  • Lévis: 30.09

• Region of Lanaudière:
  • Repentigny: 28.93
  • Terrebonne: 40.81
  • Mascouche: 42.52
  • Joliette: 59.17

• Beauce Region: 30,71
  • New Beauce: 27.36
  • Bellechasse: 27.98

• Region of Charlevoix: 39.11
  • New Beauce: 27.36
  • Bellechasse: 27.98

• Region of Montérégie:
  • Richelieu Valley: 31.38
  • Roussillon: 34.55
  • Granby: 45.14

• Bas-St-Laurent Region:
  • Kamouraska: 26.19
  • Bellechasse: 27.98
  • The Basques: 30,21
  • L’Islet: 31.48
  • Montmagny: 37.83
  • Rivière-du-Loup: 40.68

• Region of Montérégie:
  • Richelieu Valley: 31.38
  • Roussillon: 34.55
  • Granby: 45.14
  • Beauharnois-Salaberry: 63.15

Medium risk regions:

• Region of Estrie:
  • Coaticook: 39.64
  • Haut-St-François: 43.42
  • L’Érable: 45,56
  • Sherbrooke: 48.99

• Region of Mauricie:
  • Trois-Rivières: 50.81
  • Shawinigan: 75.28
  • La Tuque: 87.80

• National Capital Region:
  • Jacques-Cartier: 26.16
  • Côte-de-Beaupré: 35.81
  • Quebec: 51.03

• Region of Saguenay:
  • Lac-St-Jean East: 44.49
  • Saguenay Fjord: 52.05
  • Saguenay: 57.58

• Central-Québec Region:
  • Acton: 44.72
  • Nicolet-Yamaska: 52.36
  • Drummond: 56.42

Most at-risk regions

• Abitibi Region: 54.84
  • Rouyn-Noranda: 53.04
  • Chapais-Chibougamau: 73.36
  • Vallée-de-l’Or: 82.11

• Region of Gatineau:
  • Gatineau: 59.64
  • Papineau: 61.34

• Greater Montreal Area:
  • Laval: 47.93
  • Longueuil: 49.66
  • Montreal: 72.39

• Laurentian Region: 69.80
  • Sainte-Thérèse: 47.14
  • Pays-d’en-Haut: 63.32
  • Antoine-Labelle: 67.23
  • Saint-Jérôme: 71.56
  • Mont-Tremblant: 94.29
  • Argenteuil: 97.82

The haven-of-peace: Île d’Orléans (11,57)

Where to lock its doors: Vallée-de-la-Gatineau (99,91)

And also, in many aboriginal communities (but not all), the risk is over the top.