Canada is not known to be a dangerous country. In fact, it is among the top 15 safest countries of the world based on the 2022 Global Peace Index. This index ranks a total of 163 countries on safety and peace according to 23 indicators. For example, the number of violent conflicts, the level of distrust, the political instability, and terrorism.

Unfortunately, crime happens everywhere, even in the safest places. If you’re wondering about Winnipeg, here are some important facts:

1. Property crimes are the most common

   Most crimes are property crimes which includes breaking and entering, theft, fraud, and shoplifting. The majority of property crimes (62%) were non-residential. This means your car is more likely to be a target than your home. In fact, vehicle accessories are the second most stolen property at 21% according to the Winnipeg Police Service.

   

   Source: Winnipeg Police Service 2021 Statistical Report

   Only violent crime has increased in 2021 compared to 2020; this category includes assault, homicide, kidnappings, and robberies. There was one additional homicide (total of 43) and 107 more robberies (total of 1,911) in 2021.

   

   

   Source: Winnipeg Police Service 2021 Statistical Report

2. Transcona and River Heights are the safest neighbourhoods in Winnipeg

   The Winnipeg Police Service divides Winnipeg into four districts (North, Central, East, West). The West has the highest crime rate. The Central area, which is much smaller than the West (34 km squared compared to 221 km squared), has the second highest crime rate. In all areas, property crime has the highest rate.

   

   Source: Winnipeg Police Service 2021 Statistical Report

   Transcona and River Heights had the lowest violent crime rate of all neighbourhoods in Winnipeg (260 and 499). Downtown and Point Douglas had the highest violent crime rate (2,216 and 3,525 crimes) of all neighbourhoods in Winnipeg.

3. Visible minorities are more at risk than white people for hate crimes

   Hate crimes have increased since 2020 (from 26 to 38 crimes). Black individuals were the main victims of hate crimes (45%), and people who were not white accounted for 95% of the total hate crimes. Sadly, the number of crimes may be higher than reported.

4. Winnipeg has a high crime severity index

   Winnipeg has a higher crime severity index compared to other Prairie cities (such as Regina, Saskatoon, and Calgary) and to Canada overall. The crime severity index is calculated based on the number of crimes and how serious they are.

   

   Dark Blue Column: 2019
   Light Blue Column: 2020
   Yellow Column: 2021

   Source: Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2021 by Greg Moreau, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Stat Can.

   Canada-wide, Eastern and Central Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Quebec) have lower crime rates than the Prairie provinces (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) and the Territories (Yukon, North-West, Nunavut).



Source: Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2021 by Greg Moreau, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Stat Can.

5. You can help protect yourself and reduce the crime rate

   You may be feeling concerned by the facts in this article. For context, crime was lower during the pandemic, and as restrictions have lifted crime has increased. Those struggling to make enough money, or with addictions to opioids and methamphetamines may be driven to commit crimes. Since 2018, Winnipeg has seen an increase in the substance abuse, and the problem continues to persist.

   However, the fact remains that most people living in Winnipeg are not at risk of violent crime. People live safe, happy lives here.

   The City of Winnipeg also actively funds programs for community safety and crime prevention activities. This includes activities like lighting projects, neighbourhood watch groups, afterschool programs, security surveillance and clean-up programs, as well as safety trainings. You can see a complete list of these programs here: Community groups – safety and crime prevention.

   You can reduce the risk of crimes by:

   • Getting involved in your community. You can approach any of the organizations in the list above and volunteer.
   • Securing your home and business.
   • Staying safe by walking in groups, and being aware of your surroundings. There are many free safe walk services for you to use.
   • Reporting suspicious activity to the police or to CrimeStoppers.

If you feel stressed about the crime rate, or have been affected by crime, call the Klinic Crisis Line 24/7 (204-786-8686) to talk about your feelings.

 
By Nastashya Wall
 
Sources: WPS 2021 Annual report; and Police Reported Crime Statistics 2021, Statistics Canada. Accessed January, 2023.