
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.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Alberta watchdog's ruling on Winnipeg police fatal shooting of Nigerian student expected in August
A decision over whether Winnipeg police officers were justified in the fatal 2023 shooting of a Nigerian international student is expected by the end of August, the out-of-province police watchdog tapped to conduct the investigation says. Afolabi Stephen Opaso, 19, was shot dead by officers responding to a well-being call at a Winnipeg apartment building on Dec. 31, 2023, the Independent Investigation Unit (IIU) of Manitoba has said. The agency investigates all serious incidents involving police in Manitoba. Winnipeg police said the call involved a possibly armed man who was acting erratically. Opaso, a University of Manitoba student, was armed with two knives when officers shot him, then-police chief Danny Smyth told reporters a day after the shooting. In January 2024, the IIU tapped its Alberta-based counterpart to take over the investigation into Opaso's death to avoid any perceived conflict of interest, after it said a Manitoba Justice employee was found to be a "close relative" of a police officer involved in the shooting. Opaso's family has been vocal about their wait for answers over his death in the months since. Last December, the family released a statement expressing deep frustration as they continued to wait for the independent report into what led to Opaso's death. The family released another statement on Monday, urging the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) to release a formal written update on the status of its investigation within seven days. "This continued delay is unjustified and quite disturbing for us, and we genuinely wonder if our beloved brother will ever get justice," said the most recent statement, provided to CBC News by the Opaso family's lawyer, Jean-René Dominique Kwilu. A decision is expected by the end of August, a spokesperson for the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) told CBC News on Thursday. Kwilu says he didn't hear back from ASIRT after sending the family's most recent statement to the police watchdog. He said the watchdog's decision is "long overdue," as questions have swirled about alleged discrepancies between police's account of the shooting and Opaso's roommates, including whether Opaso was holding a weapon before his death. "We'll see what the investigation findings are, and then the family will know what their next steps are," Kwilu told CBC News on Thursday. He had not informed Opaso's family of the watchdog's update at that point. The family is considering whether to sue Winnipeg police over Opaso's death, Kwilu said. The family hopes the watchdog's final report will help them understand what information emergency dispatchers gave the officers who responded to the call, and how much time police had to talk to each other before providing their accounts of what happened, Kwilu said. The family also wants to know whether all the gunshots fired were necessary in the officers' response and whether there was a racial component to how the case was dealt with. Opaso's death disturbed Winnipeg's international student community, and it has broader implications for families with loved ones who struggle with mental health issues, he said. "Beyond just Afolabi, if there are some reforms that are needed, then those reforms must be tackled, especially in the areas of police and mental health, and how to respond to these calls," Kwilu said.


CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Police searching for girl, 12, missing since June
Khalida Moar, 12, was last seen in Winnipeg on June 8, 2025. (Winnipeg Police Service) Winnipeg police are concerned about the well-being of a 12-year-old girl who hasn't been seen in over a month. Khalida Moar was last seen at 10:30 p.m. on June 8 in Winnipeg's Silver Heights neighbourhood. She is described as five-foot-seven with a medium build, black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a black hooded sweater, black sweatpants and white Nike shoes. Police said Moar is known to frequent Brandon and Dauphin. Anyone with information on her location is asked to call police at 204-986-6250.


CTV News
3 hours ago
- CTV News
Man, woman charged with attempted murder in North Bay
The North Bay Police Service charged two people this week with attempted murder in connection with an assault and robbery that took place in January. (File) The North Bay Police Service charged two people this week with attempted murder in connection with an assault and robbery that took place in January. The 37-year-old man and 28-year-old woman remain in custody, police said, in connection with the Jan. 27 'targeted' attack in the West Ferris area of the city. 'The accused and co-accused now face numerous criminal charges in relation to the incident,' police said in a news release Thursday. Police responded at 5:21 a.m. on Jan. 27 to a report that a man had been 'severely assaulted.' Emergency responders found the victim, who had several head wounds and a serious arm injury. 'The male was transported to hospital with life-threatening injuries,' police said. Arrested July 23 The criminal investigation section took over the case, working with the forensic identification unit and the OPP digital forensics unit. The accused and co-accused were identified and arrested July 23. The man is charged with attempted murder, robbery with violence, aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and weapons possession. The woman is charged with attempted murder and robbery with violence. Both suspects are from North Bay. They are scheduled to appear in bail court later in the day Thursday. Acting deputy chief Jeff Warner described the incident as a 'horrific attack.' Warner praised investigators who 'painstakingly worked through the evidence.' 'Their efforts culminated in the arrest of the two accused, who are believed to have committed this horrific attack, along with the execution of multiple search warrants,' Warner said in the news release. 'These lengthy investigations further demonstrate our members' dedication and continued commitment to the community they serve.'