Message from Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh - Crime Severity Index Data

Today, Statistics Canada released its 2025 police-reported crime statistics, and the results show encouraging progress for public safety in Lethbridge.

In 2025, the overall crime rate decreased by 13% and our clearance rate increased by nearly 4%, meaning fewer reported incidents, more crimes solved and more offenders held accountable.

Any time fewer people become victims of crime, that is positive news. It demonstrates the value of targeted enforcement, crime prevention initiatives and the strong partnerships that exist between the Lethbridge Police Service, community organizations and the residents we serve.

At the same time, the data highlights areas where continued attention is needed.

While the overall volume of crime declined, the Crime Severity Index (CSI) increased slightly by 1.87%. The CSI measures not only the amount of crime occurring in a community, but also the seriousness of those offences. As a result, increases in a relatively small number of serious offences can have a significant impact on the index, even when overall crime is decreasing.

It is also important to understand that some of the offences identified by Statistics Canada as drivers of the CSI increase are linked to proactive policing efforts and enhanced investigative capacity.

For example, Statistics Canada identified failures to comply with court-imposed conditions as one of the primary contributors to CSI growth in Lethbridge. Over the past year, we enhanced our monitoring of offenders’ subject to release conditions, probation orders and other judicial restrictions. As a result, officers identified more breaches, conducted more investigations and laid more charges when those conditions were violated.

Similarly, increases in drug trafficking offences are closely tied to focused enforcement initiatives. Through targeted operations, intelligence-led policing/Comp Stat and special projects, increased enforcement disrupted drug trafficking activity and resulted in more traffickers being charged.

Another offence category contributing to the CSI increase was sexual assault.

In 2025, the Lethbridge Police Service established a dedicated Sex Crimes Unit. This specialized team has enhanced our ability to investigate complex cases, support victims and advance files that may otherwise have remained unresolved. Through these efforts, investigators have identified additional offences, pursued historical and related occurrences, and laid charges where evidence supported them.

Increased reporting may also be a factor. The availability of specialized supports through community partners, including Aurora, may be helping more survivors come forward, report incidents and access services. While any increase in sexual violence is concerning, greater reporting can also reflect increased confidence in available supports and the investigative process.

From a public safety perspective, these are positive outcomes. Victims are being supported, offences are being investigated and offenders are being held to account. However, those investigations and resulting charges are also reflected in Statistics Canada's reporting and can contribute to higher CSI figures.

Some of the other offence categories influencing CSI results involve relatively small numbers of serious incidents that fluctuate from year to year.

Attempted murder is a good example. While Statistics Canada reported seven counts of attempted murder in 2025, those charges stemmed from just three investigations. In two cases, one count of attempted murder was laid. In the third, a single accused was charged with five counts of attempted murder involving five victims.

Historically, Lethbridge averages between one and three attempted murder investigations annually, meaning the number of occurrences investigated in 2025 was generally consistent with previous years. However, because attempted murder carries one of the highest weights in the Crime Severity Index, a single incident involving multiple victims can have a significant impact on overall CSI results.

Human trafficking also contributed to the increase in CSI. While the overall numbers remain low - zero occurrences in 2024 and four in 2025 - human trafficking offences carry a high CSI weight because of the significant harm caused to victims. This means even a small increase can have a measurable impact on overall crime severity.

With respect to property crime, businesses in Lethbridge experienced a significant increase in shoplifting incidents during 2025. This challenge was not unique to our community. Statistics Canada reported that shoplifting continued to rise nationally, reflecting broader retail theft trends being experienced across Canada.

Locally, we worked closely with retailers, loss-prevention personnel and the business community to address repeat offenders and organized retail theft activity. While increased shoplifting incidents contributed to CSI pressures, they also reflect strong reporting practices and targeted enforcement focused on offenders who have a disproportionate impact on community safety.

When viewed collectively, the factors driving the CSI fall into several distinct categories. Some, such as failures to comply with court-imposed conditions and drug trafficking, reflect proactive enforcement and increased offender accountability. Others, such as sexual assault, reflect enhanced investigative capacity and victim support. Human trafficking and attempted murder demonstrate how a small number of highly serious offences can significantly influence CSI results. Shoplifting reflects a broader trend being experienced by communities across the country.

Concurrently, we are seeing positive results in our ability to solve crime. Our overall clearance rate increased by nearly four per cent in 2025, meaning more crimes were solved and more offenders apprehended. That is an important measure of police effectiveness and reflects the dedication and professionalism of our officers and investigative teams.

Overall, today's statistics demonstrate that public safety is complex and cannot be measured by a single number.

The key takeaway is that Lethbridge is moving in the right direction in many important areas. Fewer crimes occurred in our community, more offenders were held accountable and more victims received support through enhanced investigative and community-based resources. At the same time, serious offences that have a significant impact on victims and community safety continue to require focused attention.

We will continue building on this progress by investing in proactive policing, investigative capacity, offender management and strong community partnerships. Our focus remains on reducing victimization, addressing serious crime and ensuring the people of Lethbridge continue to see meaningful enhancements in public safety.