EDMONTON, Alta., – The Statistics Canada report on Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2025 shows that there was a 10.4% decrease in the Crime Severity Index (CSI) across Alberta RCMP jurisdictions compared to 2024. The crime score in Alberta RCMP jurisdictions is the lowest it has been since 2014. The CSI tracks both volume and seriousness of police-reported crime. It assigns weights to different offences based on how severe they are; more serious crimes carry a higher weight than less serious crimes.
In Alberta there are 149 different RCMP jurisdictions that are measured for the CSI. These jurisdictions are policed by the 113 RCMP detachments across the province. Of the jurisdictions policed by the RCMP, 72% had a decrease in the CSI from 2024 to 2025.
Jurisdictions with small population sizes can generally see higher fluctuations in their CSI score year-to-year. This is because even small changes in crime, especially if they are violent crimes, can have a significant impact on the scores. Jurisdictions with larger populations are less likely to have large fluctuations in CSI scores; however, we have seen significant decreases in CSI scores in many of our larger jurisdictions.
In Alberta RCMP’s jurisdictions, the top 10 CSI contributions account for 74.0% of the crime across the province. The number one contributor to the Alberta RCMP’s CSI score is Break and Enters making up 15.4% of the scoring. While Break and Enters are the highest cause of the CSI in Alberta RCMP’s jurisdictions, it is down by 19% compared to 2024 with there being 2,027 fewer Break and Enters reported to the RCMP.
Of the top 10 contributors to the CSI in Alberta RCMP’s jurisdictions, two were in violent crime categories: Assault and Uttering Threats. The trend in Assault and Uttering Threats has remained relatively flat over the past 5 years with ~20,000 and ~6,700 reports, respectively.
“We’re encouraged to see Crime Severity Index scores continuing to decline across Alberta,” said Superintendent Mike McCauley, Alberta RCMP’s Officer in Charge of Crime Reduction Strategy.
“This progress is a testament to the collective efforts of Alberta RCMP officers, our policing partners, community organizations, and the residents we serve. We are grateful for the strong support and collaboration we receive from communities across the province. Public safety is a shared responsibility, and these results demonstrate what can be achieved when law enforcement, partner agencies, and all levels of government work together toward a common goal. While there is still important work ahead, the Alberta RCMP remains committed to working with our partners to reduce crime, enhance community safety, and help build stronger, healthier communities for all Albertans.”
The Alberta RCMP uses the information gathered through the CSI to develop comprehensive, intelligence-led strategies that help to break the cycle of criminal activity over the long-term. They look at people, places, and crime types prevalent in Alberta’s most vulnerable communities and target priority offenders who cause the most harm.
In the past year, the Alberta RCMP has taken significant steps to increase the safety and resilience of the communities it serves. We have leveraged technologies, like Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, to assist our frontline operations, as well as improved our Real Time Operation Centre, which triages calls for service and coordinated resources across the province. We have also deployed Community Response Teams throughout rural Alberta, providing focused outreach and targeted enforcement. Crime Reduction Partnership Liaisons work with community partners to help address the root causes of crime and educate Albertans on how to stay safe. While our specialized Crime Reduction Units target prolific offenders and bring them before the courts.
The RCMP continues to look for new and innovative methods to help reduce crime across the province to keep Albertans safe. In May, the provincial government allocated an additional 2 million dollars in funding to the RCMP. The Alberta RCMP has allocated part of the funding to establish its new Rural Organized Crime Team; a mobile unit made of a core group of officers focused on gang activity and violence linked to drug and firearm offences. The team deploys to communities experiencing highest levels of crime, using data-driven intelligence, like the crime severity index, to identify and target priority offenders causing the greatest harm.
