Saanich Crime Statistics
British Columbia · Statistics Canada 2025 · updated 2026-10-13
CrimeMaps has no incident-level map for Saanich: its police service does not publish open incident data. These are the official annual police-reported statistics from Statistics Canada.
| 2025 incidents | 4,298 (up 3.6% vs 2024) |
|---|---|
| Rate per 100,000 | 3,410.8 (population 126,010) |
| Violent incidents | 1,207 (957.9 per 100K) |
| Property incidents | 2,374 (1,884.0 per 100K) |
| Crime Severity Index 2025 | 40.0 (violent 54.9) |
| Cleared by police | 33.9% |
| vs British Columbia | 55.4% lower rate (7,642.5 per 100K) |
Source: Statistics Canada, police-reported incidents (Uniform Crime Reporting Survey), Saanich police service. Annual figures; 2025 is the latest published year.
Year by year
| Year | Incidents | Per 100K | Violent | Property | CSI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4,298 | 3,410.8 | 1,207 | 2,374 | 40.0 |
| 2024 | 4,149 | 3,287.1 | 1,029 | 2,319 | 37.0 |
| 2023 | 4,881 | 3,921.6 | 1,193 | 2,786 | 44.5 |
| 2022 | 5,077 | 4,093.4 | 1,252 | 2,739 | 53.7 |
| 2021 | 5,244 | 4,267.3 | 1,210 | 3,067 | 48.4 |
| 2020 | 5,407 | 4,410.9 | 1,081 | 3,596 | 48.8 |
| 2019 | 5,392 | 4,427.1 | 1,034 | 3,645 | 47.8 |
| 2018 | 4,933 | 4,100.2 | 939 | 3,340 | 42.8 |
| 2017 | 4,348 | 3,628.1 | 901 | 2,744 | 37.1 |
| 2016 | 4,419 | 3,706.9 | 797 | 3,027 | 38.5 |
Offences in 2025
| Offence | Incidents | Per 100K | vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft (non-vehicle) | 1,172 | 930.1 | up 6.5% |
| Assault | 608 | 482.5 | up 29.1% |
| Fraud and identity crime | 499 | 396.0 | down 0.8% |
| Mischief | 483 | 383.3 | down 7.5% |
| Shoplifting | 456 | 361.9 | up 23.9% |
| Impaired driving | 277 | 219.8 | down 8.6% |
| Theft from vehicle | 215 | 170.6 | down 16.3% |
| Break and enter | 148 | 117.5 | up 15.6% |
| Sexual assault | 105 | 83.3 | up 11.7% |
| Drug violations | 46 | 36.5 | up 21.1% |
| Motor vehicle theft | 32 | 25.4 | down 28.9% |
| Robbery | 29 | 23.0 | up 26.1% |
| Weapons violations | 23 | 18.2 | down 34.3% |
| Homicide | 1 | 0.8 |
Latest police report: Q1 2026 (January–March)
| Q1 2026 (January–March) | Q4 2025 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assault | 76 | 111 | -31.5% |
| Sexual assault | 19 | 27 | -29.6% |
| Robbery | 14 | 6 | +133.3% |
| Theft | 80 | 101 | -20.8% |
| Shoplifting | 158 | 124 | +27.4% |
| Theft from a vehicle | 40 | 47 | -14.9% |
| Fraud | 128 | 96 | +33.3% |
| Domestic violence | 49 | 44 | +11.4% |
| Cybercrime | 95 | 71 | +33.8% |
| Break and enter, residential | 22 | 21 | +4.8% |
| Arson | 2 | 1 | +100.0% |
| Break and enter, business/other | 39 | 32 | +21.9% |
| Distracted driving tickets | 90 | 22 | +309.1% |
| Fatal collisions | 0 | 1 | -100.0% |
Source: Saanich Police Department, Quarterly Report to the Community. The police service's own preliminary counts, published more often than Statistics Canada's annual figures but not counted the same way, so the two should not be compared directly.
Saanich crime overview
Essay updated 2026-10-04 · figures above are Statistics Canada 2025
TL;DR. In 2025, the Saanich police service reported 4,298 incidents at a rate of 3,410.8 per 100,000 population, rose 3.6% from 4,149 in 2024. The most common offence was theft (non-vehicle) with 1,172 incidents, accounting for 27.3% of the total.
About this data
Saanich is policed by the Saanich police service. The figures here are official annual statistics from Statistics Canada based on police-reported incidents. In the latest year, 2025, there were 4,298 incidents, a rate of 3,410.8 per 100,000 population. The rate uses a population of 126,010.
Recent trend
In 2025, total incidents rose 3.6% from 4,149 in 2024 to 4,298. Since 2016, when there were 4,419 incidents, the total fell 2.7% while the rate fell 8%. The peak in 2016–2025 was 5,407 incidents in 2020, and the lowest was 4,149 incidents in 2024. Violent incidents rose 17.3% and property incidents rose 2.4% compared with 2024. Separately, the police service's quarterly report for Q1 2026 (January–March) gives the police service's own preliminary counts, which are not Statistics Canada figures and are not counted the same way. It recorded 76 assaults, which fell 31.5%, 158 shoplifting incidents, which rose 27.4%, and 128 fraud incidents, which rose 33.3%, compared with the previous quarter.
Category breakdown
The most-recorded offences in 2025 were theft (non-vehicle) with 1,172 incidents, or 27.3% of the total, which rose 6.5% from 1,100 in 2024, and assault with 608 incidents, or 14.1%, which rose 29.1% from 471. Fraud and identity crime totalled 499 incidents, or 11.6%, which fell 0.8% from 503, mischief totalled 483 incidents, or 11.2%, which fell 7.5% from 522, and shoplifting totalled 456 incidents, or 10.6%, which rose 23.9% from 368. Impaired driving totalled 277 incidents, or 6.4%, which fell 8.6% from 303, theft from a vehicle totalled 215 incidents, or 5.0%, which fell 16.3% from 257, and uttering threats totalled 176 incidents, or 4.1%, which rose 25.7% from 140. Violent incidents totalled 1,207, or 28.1% of the total, at a rate of 957.9 per 100,000 population, while property incidents totalled 2,374, or 55.2%, at a rate of 1,884 per 100,000 population. The crime severity index for 2025 was 39.95, with a violent crime severity index of 54.91, compared with 37.01 in 2024, where the index weights offences by seriousness.
What this means
Saanich's total, a rate of 3,410.8 per 100,000 population, was 55.4% lower than a rate of 7,642.5 per 100,000 population for British Columbia. Its violent rate, a rate of 957.9 per 100,000 population, was 37.4% lower than a rate of 1,530.8 per 100,000 population for the province, and its property rate, a rate of 1,884 per 100,000 population, was 50.9% lower than a rate of 3,838.6 per 100,000 population for the province. These are police-reported annual counts, meaning they reflect incidents that came to police attention, and not every crime is reported, so reporting practices can affect comparisons. They do not show locations within the city, and Statistics Canada publishes each year's data the following July, so 2025 is the latest year available.
FAQ
What is the crime rate in Saanich?
In the latest year (2025), the Saanich police service reported 4,298 incidents, a rate of 3,410.8 per 100,000 population. Violent incidents totalled 1,207, a rate of 957.9 per 100,000 population, representing 28.1% of the total, while property incidents totalled 2,374, a rate of 1,884 per 100,000 population, representing 55.2% of the total. Police-reported means incidents that came to police attention; not every crime is reported.
Is crime going up or down in Saanich?
Total incidents rose 3.6% from 4,149 in 2024 to 4,298 in 2025, with violent incidents rising 17.3% and property incidents rising 2.4%. Since 2016, when 4,419 incidents were reported, the total fell 2.7% and the rate fell 8%. The total peaked at 5,407 in 2020 and was lowest at 4,149 in 2024. The Crime Severity Index was 39.95 in 2025, compared with 37.01 in 2024, with a violent Crime Severity Index of 54.91.
What is the most common crime in Saanich?
The most common offence in the latest year was theft (non-vehicle) with 1,172 incidents, a rate of 930.1 per 100,000 population, representing 27.3% of the total, after rising 6.5% from 1,100 in 2024. Next were assault with 608 incidents, rising 29.1% from 471, and fraud and identity crime with 499 incidents, falling 0.8% from 503. Shoplifting totalled 456 incidents, rising 23.9% from 368.
How does Saanich compare with British Columbia?
In 2025, Saanich had a rate of 3,410.8 per 100,000 population compared with a rate of 7,642.5 per 100,000 population for British Columbia, 55.4% lower. For violent incidents, Saanich recorded a rate of 957.9 per 100,000 population, 37.4% lower than a rate of 1,530.8 per 100,000 population for the province. For property incidents, Saanich recorded a rate of 1,884 per 100,000 population, 50.9% lower than a rate of 3,838.6 per 100,000 population for the province.
What do the latest Saanich police reports show?
The police service's quarterly report for Q1 2026 (January–March) recorded 158 incidents of shoplifting, rising 27.4% compared with the previous quarter (Q4 2025), and 76 incidents of assault, falling 31.5%. It also counted 128 incidents of fraud, rising 33.3%. These are the police service's own preliminary counts, not Statistics Canada figures and not counted the same way.
Where do these numbers come from?
These figures come from Statistics Canada's Uniform Crime Reporting Survey for the Saanich police service, covering 2016–2025. The latest year is 2025, published the following July. In the latest year, 3,907 incidents were Criminal Code incidents and 33.9% were cleared.