Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to spend a couple of minutes this fine Tuesday afternoon to talk about a non-inspiring topic, that of statistics usage. Mr. Speaker, with the arrival of the computer age, our society has at its fingertips the ability to compile and compose statistics as it so desires. We have statistics for this and statistics for that. For the most part, these titbits of information seem harmless, but placed in the wrong hand can become grave and lethal weapons. Recently, Yellowknife has been in the local headlines as being an undesirable place to live or invest in because of the media's reporting of crime rates. While the increase in perceived crime rate is real or perceived, these articles have left residents, potential residents and investors with the impression that Yellowknife may be a less charming place to reside and invest in.
I have had the opportunity, Mr. Speaker, to study these detailed statistics for myself. It is my observation that the incidents of overall crime in Yellowknife has decreased by approximately 18 percent over last year. Statistics do say that the crime rate in Yellowknife has actually decreased 18 percent. I too, could have viewed these statistics with a sensational eye and arrived at some of the same conclusions. For example, I could have concluded that from the stats that the incidents of reported aggravated assault have raised 100 percent over the previous year. I had one case of reported aggravated sexual assault this year. We had no reported cases last year. But that could have been a gross misuse of information.
Mr. Speaker, quite frankly it would be a misrepresentation of the facts, it should also be noted that these statistics do not support a conclusion that the youths of Yellowknife are responsible for the majority of the reported cases of crime. According to RCMP officials, youth are not to be blamed for the seeming rash of assaults. Most of these charges in this area are 25 year old or older. Mr. Speaker, the statistics show that crime is not on the increase in Yellowknife. Crimes by youth in our city are not on the rise and that Yellowknife is not a haven for crime. These are the facts, Mr. Speaker, and I am happy to report this positive news. Thank you.