Assault: The Most Common Crime in Calgary: Part 1
Most people in Calgary, including those who find themselves charged with a criminal offence, consider themselves productive and law-abiding members of our society. Indeed, most people in Calgary including those charged with a criminal offence ARE productive and generally productive and law-abiding members of society. We live in one of the safest and lowest-crime cities in the world, let alone Canada. Yet the Calgary Police and other law enforcement agencies manage to find plenty to keep themselves busy, and that can spell trouble for an unaware Calgary citizen.
Just like most people in Calgary consider themselves law-abiding citizens, most people in Calgary would be surprised to learn just how easy it is to break the law. This includes the laws defining assault, a serious charge that most people in Calgary could likely have been charged with at one time or another. This helps to explain a Calgary crime statistic that seems stunning on the surface, but that actually says more about our criminal justice system than it does about our community or the people in it.
More People in Calgary are Charged with Assault Than Any Other Serious Crime
According to the most recent release of the Calgary Police's crime statistics, there are more charges laid against people in Calgary for alleged assault than for any crime other than minor traffic infractions. More people are charged with assault than with petty thefts, than with drug offences, than with impaired driving or "DUI" charges if you look at the stats, Calgary looks like it's been suffering from a rash of violent assaults every year.
In reality, Calgary's assault laws are simply very broad, and allow the Calgary Police, Crown prosecutors, and others in the criminal justice system to interpret many behaviors and actions as criminal assault as they see fit. As the law is written, simply making an intimidating gesture to someone can be considered an assault. A verbal threat of violence can be considered an assault if there is any reason to believe the threat might actually be acted upon and that belief is, at times, in the mind of the beholder. In addition, any unwanted physical contact can potentially rise to the level of criminal assault as defined under Calgary (and Canada's) criminal code.
We've all said things in the heat of the moment that we didn't mean. It's all too easy to find yourself involved in a physical altercation that exploded out of your control. In the wrong circumstances, these can lead to an arrest and/or a criminal assault charge, and as you'll see in Part 2 of this article that's a very serious legal matter.
Contact a Calgary Criminal Defence Lawyer for Your Assault Charge TODAY
If you or a family member has been charged with assault in the Greater Calgary Area, you don't have to face this battle alone. Contact an experienced, compassionate, and dedicated Calgary defence lawyer TODAY for a free initial consultation, and get the help you deserve!