By rdnewsNOW staff

Collective Effort

RCMP sees 6.9% decrease in Crime Severity Index across province

Aug 4, 2025 | 8:00 AM

A Statistics Canada report on Police-reported crime statistics in Canada, 2024 shows that there was a 6.9 per cent decrease in the Crime Severity Index (CSI) across Alberta RCMP jurisdictions compared to 2023.

According to Mounties, the crime score in Alberta RCMP jurisdictions is the second lowest it has been since 2015. Officials say the CSI tracks both volume and seriousness of police-reported crime. RCMP say it assigns weights to different offences based on how severe they are as more serious crimes carry a higher weight than less serious crimes.

In Alberta there are 147 different RCMP jurisdictions that are measured for the CSI. Mounties say these jurisdictions are policed by the 113 RCMP detachments across the province. Of the 147 jurisdictions policed by the RCMP, 95 had a decrease in the CSI from 2023 to 2024.

According to Alberta Mounties, jurisdictions with small population sizes can generally see higher fluctuations in their CSI score year-to-year. They say 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, however, are less likely to have large fluctuations in CSI scores, as RCMP have seen significant decreases in CSI scores in many of their larger jurisdictions.

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Wetaskiwin, with a population of 13,412 saw a 19.2 per cent decrease, Strathmore with a population of 16,189 saw a 24.6 per cent decrease, and Red Deer with a population of 112,917, the largest jurisdiction the Alberta RCMP oversees, saw a 19.7 per cent decrease. Mounties say these statistics demonstrate a significant decrease in crime in these communities, brought on by the hard work of RCMP employees, and from the efforts of community members themselves.

In Alberta, Mounties say the top 10 CSI contributions account for 74.9 per cent of the crime across the province. They say the number one contributor to Alberta’s CSI score is break and enters making up 17.67 per cent of the scoring. While break and enters are the highest cause of the CSI in Alberta, RCMP note, it is down compared to 2023 with there being 875 fewer break and enters reported to the RCMP.

Of the top 10 contributors to the CSI in Alberta, Mounties point out that two were in violent crime categories: assault and sexual assault. According to RCMP, both crimes have seen a decline over the past year with there being 653 fewer assaults, and 273 fewer sexual assaults across the province.

Mounties say violent crimes like assault and sexual assault can lead to significant trauma, not just to the individuals effected, but to their friends, their family, and the community they call home. Police say the pain of these crimes is frequently long lasting, impacting those effected for years to come. Decreases in these heinous crimes are more than just a number, say RCMP, but are a significant benefit to the health and well-being of Albertan Communities.

“We are extremely pleased to see crime scores declining across the province,” says Deputy Commissioner Trevor Daroux, Commanding Officer of the Alberta RCMP, in a press release. “This trend reflects the shared efforts of Alberta RCMP officers, the communities we serve, and our dedicated partner agencies. We’re sincerely grateful for the support we’ve received.”

“Reducing crime isn’t the work of one group, it demands collaboration among public services, community partners, and all level of government, but these results show that when we work together, we get results,” adds Daroux. “There is still a long way to go, but the Alberta RCMP remains committed to working with our partners to protect Albertans and strengthen the communities we all proudly call home.”

The Alberta RCMP says it 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 says it has taken significant steps to increase the safety and resilience of the communities it serves. Mounties note, they have leveraged technologies, like Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, to assist frontline operations, as well as improved their Real Time Operation Centre, which triages calls for service and dispatches resources across the province.

RCMP say they have also deployed Community Response Teams throughout rural Alberta, providing focused outreach and targeted enforcement. According to Mounties, their specialized crime reduction teams also work with community partners to help address the root causes of crime and educate Albertans on how to stay safe.

The RCMP says it continues to look for new and innovative methods to help reduce crime across the province to keep Albertans safe.

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