# Canada crime severity index trends – July 2026 update > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/canada-crime-severity-index-trends > Updated: 2026-08-11T18:05:56.000Z. Sources: 76. Developments: 5. Statistics Canada’s July 2026 release of 2025 data showed the national Crime Severity Index (CSI) falling for the second consecutive year, with the index down 4.9%. Overall police-reported crime fell 2.4%, while violent crime dropped 4.2% and non-violent crime decreased 5.3%. Notably, break-and-enter incidents fell 11%. Provincial trends were mixed. British Columbia’s CSI fell nearly 12% since 2023, driven by declines in extortion, shoplifting, and child sexual abuse offences. However, BC officials noted conflicting trends: while the overall CSI fell 1.6% year-over-year, the province’s Violent Crime Severity Index rose 2.2% compared to 2024, and Vancouver reported a 6.0% increase in violent crime during the first half of 2026. Alberta’s CSI fell 10.4%, reaching its lowest level since 2014, largely due to a 19% plunge in break-and-enter offences. Conversely, Manitoba saw an 8.8% drop, while New Brunswick and Nunavut recorded increases of 5.6% and 9.5%, respectively. Local outliers persist. Victoria’s CSI rose 4.7 points, with robberies jumping 21%. Prince Albert saw a 6.5% overall CSI increase, fueled by a 24.7% surge in violent crime. In Duncan, BC, officials contested its position at the top of the provincial CSI rankings, with Mayor Michelle Staples warning against letting a “deeply skewed statistic” define the community. RCMP Staff Sergeant Ken Beard noted that the index is inflated by a high concentration of offences among the homeless population in a small community that serves a much larger regional population. ## Claims - Minister Nina Krieger stated that British Columbia's Crime Severity Index has decreased for two consecutive years and is nearly 12% lower than in 2023. (corroborated by 5 sources) - British Columbia's Crime Severity Index decreased by 1.6 per cent year-over-year. (corroborated by 5 sources) - The Violent Crime Severity Index in British Columbia rose by 2.2 per cent compared to 2024. (corroborated by 5 sources) - Between 2017 and 2025, the province's Violent Crime Severity Index increased by 31.7 per cent. (corroborated by 5 sources) - In Vancouver, violent crime incidents increased by 6.0 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared to the first half of 2025. (corroborated by 5 sources) - Property crime incidents in Vancouver increased by 4.3 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared to the first half of 2025. (corroborated by 5 sources) - Statistics Canada ranked Duncan as having the highest Crime Severity Index in British Columbia in its 2025 report. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Crime Severity Index measures both the volume and seriousness of police‑reported crime, assigning different weights based on sentencing data, and divides the weighted total by resident population. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Duncan’s population is just over 5,000 residents. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Duncan serves as the commercial, social and service hub for the broader Cowichan Valley region, serving tens of thousands of people. (corroborated by 3 sources) - A high concentration of reported offences in Duncan involves individuals experiencing homelessness. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Mayor Michelle Staples said residents deserve to feel safe and the city will advocate for housing, mental‑health, addiction and justice system resources. (corroborated by 3 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-11: British Columbia crime statistics challenge government safety claims Critics challenge the British Columbia government's safety claims, noting a 2.2% rise in violent crime severity and increasing crime trends in Vancouver and Surrey. 14 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/british-columbia-crime-statistics-show-conflicting-trends-in-safety ### 2026-07-31: Duncan, BC Mayor Defends Crime Severity Index Ranking Amid Controversy Statistics Canada ranked Duncan, BC highest in the province’s Crime Severity Index, but the mayor says the metric skews perception and calls for more housing, mental‑health and justice resources. 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/duncan-bc-leads-province-in-crime-severity-index-as-city-questions-metric ### 2026-07-24: Victoria crime severity index climbs in 2025 as BC overall crime falls Victoria’s 2025 crime severity index rose 4.7 points, with violent crime up 5.4 % and robberies up 21 %, while British Columbia overall saw a 12 % decline in crime rates. 6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/victoria-crime-severity-index-climbs-in-2025-as-bc-overall-crime-falls ### 2026-07-24: Alberta crime severity index falls province‑wide as Prince Albert sees violent crime surge Alberta's overall crime severity index fell 10.4% in 2025, the lowest since 2014, while Prince Albert's violent crime severity rose 24.7%, lifting its city index 6.5%. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/alberta-crime-severity-index-falls-provincewide-as-prince-albert-sees-violent-crime-surge ### 2026-07-22: Canada's national crime severity index falls for second consecutive year Canada's 2025 crime severity index fell 4.9 %, marking a second straight decline, with most provinces down but New Brunswick, Nunavut, and some northern communities posting higher scores. 69 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/saskatchewan-leads-canada-in-crime-severity-despite-national-decline --- Cite as: Canada crime severity index trends – July 2026 update. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/canada-crime-severity-index-trends