[2] Under the Canadian constitution, the power to establish criminal law & rules of investigation is vested in the federal Parliament.

The provinces share responsibility for law enforcement (although provincial policing in many jurisdictions is contracted to the federal Royal Canadian Mounted Police), and while the power to prosecute criminal offences is assigned to the federal government, responsibility for prosecutions is delegated to the provinces for most types of criminal offences.

[5] The Crime Severity Index (CSI) in Canada rose by 2% in 2023, marking the third consecutive year of increase and the continuation of a trend that began in 2015.

[6] The overall increase was significantly influenced by a rise in reported fraud, which was still identified as a major factor, extortion and child pornography cases, which soared by 52% in 2023.

[7] The Crime Severity Index (CSI) in Canada rose by 2% in 2023, marking the third consecutive year of increase and the continuation of a trend that began in 2015.

[8] The overall increase in the CSI was significantly influenced by a rise in reported child pornography cases, which soared by 52% in 2023.

The increase was deemed partly due to enhanced awareness and better collaboration among law enforcement agencies.

[6] Several crime types emphasized in the report include fraud, which was identified as a major factor, and extortion, rising by 35% for the fourth consecutive year.

[6] The statistics also highlighted the changing landscape of theft-related crimes, as motor vehicle theft and robbery rates saw increases.

Relationships to robbery showed a similar trend, with a 4% rise in incidents but still being lower than historical figures from years ago.

Similar trends were noted across various provinces, with notable increases in other areas including Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, while some areas like Nova Scotia reported a slight decrease in their Crime Severity Index.

In many instances the crime rates in the Yukon, North West Territories and Nunavut are the highest in the country and can be up to ten times the national average.

For example, types of assaults receive different classifications and laws in Canada and the U.S., making comparisons more difficult than homicides.

[22] For reasons like these, homicides have been favored in international studies looking for predictors of crime rates (predictors like economic inequality).Much study has been done of the comparative experience and policies of Canada with its southern neighbour the United States, and this is a topic of intense discussion within Canada.