Vancouver crime rates fell over the long term, police say

The Vancouver Police Department is sharing long-term crime trend statistics and asking media to report on them so the public has an accurate picture of crime in the city. Senior Deputy Chief Constable Howard Chow said facts matter when people assess public safety. Violent crime, property crime and overall crime rates all declined overall between 2002 and 2025.

Statistics Canada’s preferred way to report crime trends is the Crime Severity Index (CSI), which accounts for the seriousness of offences. For example, it does not treat shoplifting as equivalent to a violent robbery. Vancouver’s overall CSI in 2025 was the lowest on record since Statistics Canada began tracking it in 1998. Over the past 10 years, the city’s overall CSI fell 22.3%, while the national index increased 4.2%. Vancouver’s non-violent CSI also reached a record low in 2025, the lowest since record-keeping began in 1998.

Police said the only reason Vancouver’s violent CSI did not also reach a record low in 2025 was the Lapu-Lapu mass casualty incident, which involved 11 second-degree murder charges. Crime has increased so far in 2026 compared with the same period last year, the department said, but the most serious offences—including murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, commercial break-and-enters, residential break-and-enters and auto theft—are decreasing. The VPD projects all three CSI categories will decline through 2026 to their lowest recorded levels.

“We are making progress. It’s not an accident. It’s not a coincidence,” Chow said, attributing the progress to effective policing and investment in appropriate technology and strategies, including Project Barrage and the creation of District 5 to address public safety concerns. He added that more work remains and that the VPD is committed to the safety of Vancouver residents, businesses and visitors.