Report on 2023 Police Resource Levels in Delta

Delta, BC – The Delta Police Department (DPD) monitors two key performance measures annually at the provincial and national levels. The first performance measure is Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index (CSI), the only national measure to compare crime consistently across the country. The CSI is calculated based on the amount and seriousness of the offences reported to the police. A low CSI rate is indicative of a relatively safe community.

The Province of British Columbia also releases an annual report on key performance measures collected in the Police Resources in British Columbia (PRBC) report. This report captures four key measures, including population per officer data, policing costs per capita, crime rates per 1000 people, and case load per officer.  Comparative data is for BC’s municipal police departments.

CSI Data:

In 2023, the CSI for Delta was 63.9, 21% lower than the national average of 80.2, and 39% lower than the provincial average of 104.1.

Province of BC Data on Police Resource Levels:

Population per Officer:

The population per officer category measures how many residents there are for each officer.  In 2023, the average for BC cities with municipal police agencies was 567 residents per officer, down from 582 in 2022. 

Delta’s 2023 population per officer rate is 632, up from 2022’s rate of 587. 

Cost per Capita:

The average cost per capita for all municipal departments in 2023 is $490, an increase of $35 from 2022.  Delta is well below the average at $393, marking no change from the previous year.

Crime Rate: 

Crime rate is measured as the number of criminal code offences per 1000 people.  The provincial average in 2023 is 61, an increase from 2022’s average of 58. Delta’s rate lowered to 39 in 2023, from 40 in 2022.

Case Load per Officer:

Case load per officer references the number of criminal code investigations per officer, throughout the calendar year. The 2023 provincial average is 35, up from 2022’s rate of 34. Delta’s 2023 rate remained constant as it’s 2022 rate, well below the average at 24.

Overall, Delta has less officers than the average BC municipal police agency, resulting in lower cost per capita for policing services, while maintaining a significantly lower crime rate and case load per officer. 

The DPD remains committed to community safety and well-being through a community-first service delivery model.