Violent crime in Vancouver reaches 20-year low, according to VPD report
A Vancouver Police Department patch is seen on an officer's uniform in Vancouver, on Jan. 9, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)
Vancouver has recorded its lowest number of violent crimes in more than 20 years, according to a new report going before the Vancouver Police Board Thursday afternoon.
The VPD's quarterly Public Safety Indicators report tracks a number of trends, including violent crime, property crime, and apprehensions under the Mental Health Act.
According to data collected in the first three months of 2025, total crime decreased by nearly one per cent.
Violent crime declined by 11.2 per cent compared to the first quarter of 2024, with the number of cases dropping from 1,342 to 1,192.
It marks the lowest number of violent crimes on record in Vancouver since the implementation of the Police Records Information Management Environment in 2002, a system used for managing police records.
'This decrease is driven by record low quarterly assaults and robberies. Violent crime declined across all patrol districts except District 4, and decreased in 15 of the 24 Vancouver neighbourhoods,' reads the report.
District four covers a large area of Vancouver, including Point Grey, Kitsilano, Fairview, Dunbar-Southlands, Arbutus Ridge, Shaughnessy, South Cambie, Riley Park, Musqueam, Kerrisdale, Oakridge, and Marpole.
The drop in violent crime presented in the data is in stark contrast to what many residents and business owners have reported anecdotally in recent months, including a series of high-profile stranger attacks.
Robberies decreased by more than 23 per cent, according to the report.
'This decrease was driven by a 39.5 per cent reduction specifically in the Downtown Eastside,' it reads.
Assaults decreased 12.6 per cent, but assaults on peace officers increased 28 per cent.
Sexual offences increased by more than 7 per cent, rising from 168 incidents in the first quarter of 2024 to 180 in the first quarter of 2025.
This includes a 6.5 per cent increase in historical reports of sexual offences.
Vancouver recorded two culpable homicides and there were three attempted murders in the first three months of 2025.
Property crime dropped by 4 per cent, continuing a sustained post-Covid decline.
Mental Health Act apprehensions increased by 7 per cent.
Calls for service increased slightly by 2.4 per cent, with 56,698 calls made between January and March in 2025 compared to 55,393 across the same three months in 2024. The average response time to emergency priority one calls increased by nine seconds compared to the same period the previous year.
There was a significant increase in on-view calls, which occur when an officer witnesses an incident. According to the VPD, that was driven by District 2 which saw a 94.0 per cent increase from 3,372 to 6,540 on-view calls.
'This increase in on-view calls is likely attributable to Task Force Barrage and Project Brighthaven, which involved the deployment of additional officers in the Downtown Eastside,' reads the report.
The VPD launched Task Force Barrage in February of this year. The initiative was intended to focus on targeting organized crime, violent offenders, and street disorder, particularly in the Downtown Eastside.
The task force has been controversial.
Critics have argued it disproportionately affects vulnerable populations in the Downtown Eastside. Advocates are concerned the increased enforcement could push these people into other parts of the city, which could disrupt their access to resources and support systems.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has also sidestepped questions on how the budget for the $5 million task force was approved.
A presentation on Task Force Barrage is also on the agenda for Thursday's police board meeting.
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