For years, Canada has taken pride in seeing itself as a relatively safe country, insulated from the kinds of crime anxieties common elsewhere. That self-image is now cracking. A new Angus Reid survey suggests that public confidence in community safety has eroded sharply and whether or not crime statistics fully justify the fear, the perception itself is becoming impossible to ignore.
According to the poll released January 12, nearly two-thirds of Canadians 62 percent believe crime has increased in their communities over the past five years. Only a quarter say things have stayed the same, and a mere 5 percent think crime has declined. That represents a dramatic shift from a decade ago, when just 30 percent felt crime was rising and a much larger share believed their neighbourhoods were stable.
Even more telling is how safe Canadians feel. In 2015, about one-third of respondents said they felt firmly safe walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark. By 2025, that figure has collapsed to just 17 percent. This is not a minor dip it is a free fall in public confidence.
What’s driving this change is not just headlines, but lived experience. Crime and safety, once a fringe concern for voters, has climbed from a niche issue affecting roughly 4 percent of Canadians in 2014 to a top-tier concern for nearly one in five today. That kind of shift doesn’t happen in a vacuum.
Politics, unsurprisingly, shapes how people interpret what they see. Conservative voters are far more likely to believe crime has risen, with 81 percent holding that view, compared to about half of Liberal voters and just over a third of New Democrats. But even accounting for partisanship, the overall trend is unmistakable: Canadians across the spectrum are more worried than they used to be.
Fraud and scams have added a new layer of insecurity. In 2025 alone, 84 percent of Canadians say they were contacted by a scammer, and more than three-quarters believe fraud is increasing in their communities. Older Canadians are especially vulnerable more than a third of those over 60 reports being victimized. With losses exceeding $638 million in 2024 and most cases going unreported, it’s little wonder that online and phone-based crime feels omnipresent and uncontrollable.
Retail workers, meanwhile, are on the front lines of a different kind of disorder. While traditional crimes like breaking and entering have declined over the long term, shoplifting under $5,000 has surged to levels not seen in decades. Forty percent of retail workers say they’ve dealt with shoplifting many times, and the majority report verbal abuse, with a troubling number encountering physically threatening behaviour. This isn’t abstract data it’s daily reality for people just trying to do their jobs.
Official statistics offer a mixed but concerning picture. Statistics Canada’s Crime Severity Index has climbed steadily over the past decade, and the violent crime index has risen even more sharply. Drug crime, after years of decline, is rising again. While still below historic peaks, the direction matters, especially when public trust is already fragile.
The federal government has responded with proposed legislation to tighten bail and sentencing for repeat and violent offenders, including auto theft and extortion. Whether Bill C-14 goes far enough or too far will be debated fiercely. Conservatives argue the system remains too lenient, particularly with the principle of restraint in bail decisions. Liberals counter that reform must balance public safety with civil liberties and evidence-based policy.
But here’s the uncomfortable truth: perception is becoming policy. When most people believe crime is rising, feel less safe at night, and experience fraud or disorder firsthand, reassurance alone won’t work. Canadians are not just asking for better statistics they’re asking to feel safe again.
Ignoring that message would be a mistake. Whether driven by reality, perception, or a mix of both, the fear is real. And in a democracy, fear especially about safety has consequences.
