Lethbridge crime drops 13% despite slight rise in Crime Severity Index

Canada’s crime severity index recorded declines in every province and territory except New Brunswick and Nunavut, and in most major cities in 2025. Statistics Canada reports overall, Canada’s crime severity index dropped five per cent last year for the second annual decline in a row. It was driven by the rate of break-and-enter cases falling for a third year in a row, down to 264 incidents per 100,000 people. The index measures both the number of crimes compared to population and the relative severity of all police-reported crimes.  Meanwhile, the conventional crime rate, tracking the volume of crimes regardless of their severity, edged down two per cent in 2025.  

Here in Lethbridge, overall crime dropped by 13 per cent in 2025, while the Lethbridge Police Service’s clearance rate increased by nearly four per cent—meaning more crimes were solved, and more offenders were held accountable. Police say that although the city’s Crime Severity Index increased slightly, it doesn’t necessarily mean crime is getting worse.

Human trafficking also had a significant impact on crime severity in 2025. Occurrences increased from zero in 2024 to four in 2025.