New Brunswick ranked 2nd safest province

New Brunswickisthe second safest province in Canada, behindonly Ontario,according to a new report by the New Brunswick RCMP.

That's an improvement over the province'sthird-place ranking last year, the RCMP stated in a release.

"We are very pleased with the progress we have made and we look forward to continuing to work with our partners and all New Brunswickers to reach our goal of becoming Canada's safest province," said Assistant Commissioner Wayne Lang, New Brunswick's commanding officer.

The province's so-called crime severity index decreased by six per cent between 2010 and 2011, according to the 2011-12 annual report, entitled Becoming Canada's Safest Province: Building on our Momentum.

The crime severity index is based on data from Statistics Canada and the federal Department of Transportation, including the volume and severity of police-reported crime, the amount and severity of crime solved by police, the number of roadway collisions resulting in injuries and fatalities, and public perception of the criminal justice system and public safety.

Thereport, releasedTuesday,highlights gains in reducing and preventing crime, efforts to make roads safer, to protect youth and seniors, and to combat organized crime and the drug trade, officials said.

'Generally speaking, crime is going down in New Brunswick.' Assistant Commissioner Wayne Lang

"Generally speaking, crime is going down in New Brunswick," with the RCMP responding to 7,000 fewer calls for service in 2011, compared to 2010, said Lang.

"Not only has this afforded our officers more time to spend on serious crimes, but also, more time to work proactively in areas such as traffic enforcement and crime prevention."

The number of impaired driving charges increased by six per cent to 1,301, up from 1,216, the 36-page report shows.

Meanwhile, the number of people killed in collisions involving alcohol dropped to 15 in 2011, from 33 the year before.

The number of child exploitation-related charges jumped 49 per cent to 57, up from 29 the year before, while drug enforcement charges increased by 11 per cent to 2,032, compared to 1,828 in 2010.

The rate of crime against persons remained relatively stable in 2011 at 9,339, compared to 9,410 the year before, while property crime rates increased slightly to 16,446, up from 15,734.

11 districts to merge to 3

This year, the RCMPwill startmoving toward a new provincial policing model that will see 11 policing districtsreduced to three, plus the existingCodiac Regional RCMP.

"Like everyone, the RCMP is dealing with todays fiscal reality," said Lang. "We continue to assess our service delivery to optimize our effectiveness."

The changes are expected to occur over the next 18 to 24 months.

The new western district will run from the New Brunswick-Quebec border down to and including Charlotte County, encompassing Oromocto District 2, which serves the Fredericton area, officials have said.

A new southeast district will cover the Moncton area, including District 3 and up to District 5, which is the Richibucto area.

The new northeast district will include Campbellton, the Acadian Peninsula and Miramichi.

Codiac Regional RCMP, which serves Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe, remains unchanged.

The re-organization is related to the Alward government's recentproperty taxes announcement.

Local Government Minister Bruce Fitch had said a new cost-sharing model for RCMP services would more fairly distribute costs among all users.

Crime severity index data for 2012 is expected to be available in July 2013.