A recent article published in Maclean's Magazine lists Steinbach as the 37th most dangerous place to live in the country.

RCMP spokesperson Tara Seel admits that while statistics are accurate based on information collected from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Crime Severity Index in 2017, she says the data is misleading.

“I cannot speak to Maclean’s methodology because the way we collect our information is markedly different,” notes Seel.

By omitting smaller towns and cities from the list and compounding the data to match a 100,000 person population (Steinbach has a population of 16,228), Seel feels that Maclean’s has presented the facts in a way that unintentionally distorts them.

Seel admits that the province as a whole has seen a three percent rise in police-reported crime since 2016, saying: “We are seeing increased use of opioids and methamphetamines in many communities including Steinbach, and that rise does fuel violent crime.” However, she mentions that an increase in police-reported crime is not necessarily negative.

As an example, Seel refers to rising numbers of domestic violence cases being brought before the RCMP every year. While the crime in itself is dire, the fact that more of it is being reported suggests to Seel that victims are feeling increasingly empowered to stand up for themselves and bring things to the police.

“Numbers are numbers and they are good for some things," concludes Seel, "but to say that Steinbach is one of the most dangerous places to live in Canada...I don’t think that’s an accurate representation of what we are seeing as a police force. Our numbers would speak differently.”

Seel continues: “We are not a statistics organization, we have criminal analysts who are specially trained to look for trends. Our goal is not to provide a full picture; our database is maintained for investigative purposes.”

Data collected by Steinbach RCMP is used to identify problematic areas and focus around those points. Contrary to what Maclean’s seems to imply, Seel commends Staff Sergeant Harold Laninga and Sargeant Joanne Ryll for leading a police detachment that is well connected to the community and constantly making it a safer place to live.

Many other Manitoba cities also made Maclean's list of most dangerous places in Canada. The Winkler and Stanley area ranked 227th, Selkirk ranked 90th, Winnipeg ranked 55th, Brandon ranked 23rd, Portage la Prarie ranked 16th, and finally, Thompson ranked as the 5th most dangerous place in the country.