VancouverMETRO VANCOUVER NEWS
Crime is up in Vancouver this year, but serious offences are down, police say
Vancouver police say overall crime has risen compared with 2025, while several serious offences are declining. The department says the city recorded a 2025 low in its non-violent Crime Severity Index and projects all three index categories will reach record lows by 2026.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) says long-term crime statistics show positive results from proactive policing, even as overall crime in the city is up this year compared with 2025. Senior Deputy Chief Constable Howard Chow said in a statement that the department is sharing crime trend data and inviting media coverage so the public can understand what is happening with crime in Vancouver.
The VPD says violent crime, property crime and overall crime rates declined between 2002 and 2005. It also cited the Crime Severity Index (CSI), which Statistics Canada uses to track crime across the country. Vancouver’s latest CSI was 83.5, down from 92.6 in 2023. The department says Vancouver recorded a record-low non-violent CSI in 2025, the lowest since Statistics Canada began tracking it in 1998.
The VPD says the only reason Vancouver did not record a low in its violent CSI was the Lapu Lapu incident, which involved 11 charges of second-degree murder. The department acknowledged that overall crime is up this year compared with 2025, while more serious offences—including murder, attempted murder, sexual offences, commercial and residential break-ins, and auto theft—are declining. Vancouver has maintained a low homicide rate since 2002, except in years when mass-casualty events such as Lapu Lapu occurred, the VPD said.
“The most severe types of crime are down,” the department said, adding that it projects all three CSI categories will fall through 2026 to their lowest recorded levels. Chow said the progress was not a coincidence, attributing it to effective policing and investment in technology and strategies such as Project Barrage and the creation of District 5 to address public safety concerns. He acknowledged that more work remains and said the VPD is committed to protecting the safety of Vancouver residents, businesses and visitors.
Public safety is a key issue in this year’s Vancouver election. With final voting day approaching, it is expected to be a major voting issue in connection with the plebiscite introduced by ABC Vancouver. The data cited by the VPD is available on the department’s website.