There is a tendency to ignore the larger picture of violence in society and focus on dramatic, exotic, but relatively rare violent crimes. Most of the violent crime rate is comprised of assault and not the more serious crimes, such as murder and rape, which receive more attention from the public and policymakers. A broader index of violent crime may provide the more meaningful indication of the pool of potential violent offenders in a community. Policies that will reduce violence in this broad base will be more effective than those aimed at the violent few. Violent crime statistics for both Canada and Alberta show that such crime is more prevalent in western Canada than in eastern Canada and more prevalent in smaller towns in Alberta than in the larger cities. Interpretations of such statistics must take into account problems and differences in reporting procedures used by different police systems. Also, policymakers must consider that violent crimes have accounted for less than 10 percent of the criminal code offenses committed in Canada. Close examination of the violent crime incidences indicates that most violent crimes have arisen from domestic disputes and are only rarely committed by complete strangers. Crime statistics, graphs, and charts accompany the text. Four additional tables are appended. A footnote and 16 references are also included. For the other papers in this series, see NCJ 76863-65.