Lethbridge's Crime Severity Index score drops 19 per cent in 2024
Lethbridge saw a 19 per cent decrease in crime in 2024 compared to the year before, according to Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index (CSI).
'In 2024, crime decreased in all four zones of the city,' said Deputy Chief Gerald Grobmeier with the Lethbridge Police Service.
According to the CSI, a report on police-reported crime, the Lethbridge Census Metropolitan Area scored 105.5 in 2024, compared to 129.7 in 2023.
'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,' said Mayor Blaine Hyggen.
The city saw an eight per cent decrease in violent crimes compared to 2023 and a 23 per cent drop in non-violent crimes such as theft and drug violations.
Grobmeier says residents have played a large part in that drop.
'I think they're hearing the messages and they're locking their doors (and) they're taking things out of their vehicles,' he said.
Lethbridge had Canada's highest CSI score from 2019 to 2021.
Grobmeier says using CompStat to identify crime trends and hot spots has been one of the biggest tools officers have used over the past year.
He also says the service hired 26 police officers and four community peace officers in 2024.
'These hires have enabled us to reinvest in our specialty units, including adding four officers to our downtown patrol unit and dedicating more resources to proactive policing initiatives,' he said.
While it's positive news for the city, Grobmeier says the work does not stop.
He says crime is often driven by social challenges like addiction, mental health and homelessness, and more supports need to be made available.
'Until we address those root causes, we are always going to have some of these crime types,' he said.
'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 … and the only way they can supply the next fix is by committing small crimes in order to pay for it.'
Lethbridge saw a 19 per cent decrease in crime in 2024 compared to the year before, according to Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index (CSI).
Lethbridge saw a 19 per cent decrease in crime in 2024 compared to the year before, according to Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index (CSI).
Hyggen says city council has continued to advocate for housing, social services and treatment options to be expanded and brought to the city.
'The shelter and housing, that's not the lane of the city, I'll put it that way; it's our advocacy work to other levels of government to get the funds and grants to do some of that work,' he said.
Hyggen says public safety remains a top priority for him and for council.
'You're still going to see crime on the streets. I wish I could say that all of a sudden there's no crime because we're dropping down and Lethbridge is free of crime; it's not,' he said.
'It's a safer community and that's what those stats are showing, but it's many other factors that go into whether folks are feeling safe because what feels safe for myself may not be for you or for anyone else, so we just want to make sure we continue trending in the right direction.'
Nationally, the CSI rate dropped four per cent.
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