Lethbridge's Crime Severity Index score fell by 19 per cent between 2023-2024. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge’s Crime Severity Index score down 19%

Jul 22, 2025 | 11:34 AM

Lethbridge continues to fall down the ranking of the highest Crime Severity Index (CSI) scores in the country.

Statistics Canada has released its report on police-reported crime statistics in Canada.

The CSI scores take into consideration the number of police-reported crimes in select communities and the relative severity of the offences.

For 2024, Lethbridge’s CSI score was 105.5, which is down by 19 per cent compared to the same period in 2023.

That includes a 23.28 per cent reduction in the city’s non-violent CSI and a 6.64 per cent decline in the violent CSI.

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It also means that Lethbridge had the ninth-highest CSI score nationally, marking the third consecutive year that it has declined in the ranking. The top 10 communities for CSI scores for 2024 are as follows:

1. Chilliwack: 141.7 (-11%)
2. Kamloops: 129.9 (-21%)
3. Winnipeg: 124.4 (-4%)
4. Red Deer: 118.7 (-20%)
5. Kelowna: 108.8 (-9%)
6. Thunder Bay: 107.7 (+8%)
7. Saskatoon: 106.7 (-9%)
8. Nanaimo:106.7 (-16%)
9. Lethbridge: 105.5 (-19%)
10. Edmonton: 101.1 (-5%)

Lethbridge had Canada’s highest CSI score from 2019-2021, falling to third place in 2022 and fourth in 2023.

Mayor Blaine Hyggen is celebrating the news that Lethbridge’s score has once again fallen.

“There’s always work to be done, but when we see numbers dropping like this, we’re very very pleased that we’re trending in the right direction. Lethbridge City Council and City of Lethbridge staff care deeply about the wellness of the community,” says Hyggen.

He continues, “Let me be absolutely clear that public safety will always be our top priority.”

Lethbridge Police Service (LPS) Deputy Chief Gerald Grobmeier commended his officers, the city’s social services workers and the general public for doing their part in keeping the community safe.

Grobmeier explains that LPS has been very successful in its implementation of the CompStat system, which helps to track prolific offenders and to divert resources to higher-crime areas.

He believes that it is equally important to understand that crime is often driven by complex social challenges like addiction, mental health and homelessness.

“Until we address those root causes [of crime], we are always going to have some of these crime types that will never go away,” says Grobmeier. “We need more strategic investments in those areas to address those root causes to get people out of the constant cycle of needing that next fix, that next fix, that next fix, and the only way they can supply the next fix is by committing small crimes in order to pay for it.”

Grobmeier says he will continue to advocate alongside the City of Lethbridge for more supportive housing, social services, and treatment options.

READ MORE: Crime severity index dropped four per cent last year, Statistics Canada says

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