A new Angus Reid survey shows some startling new figures when it comes to crime and how it affects ordinary Canadians.
Angus Reid says compared to 2015, there’s been a four-fold increase in the number of Canadians who say crime and public safety is a top issue for them.
Sixty-two percent of Canadians asked believed that criminal activity has increased in their community over the last five years – findings that back up the latest data from Statistics Canada showing an increase in the severity of crime and violent crime since 2020.
(via Angus Reid)
Not all crime is face-to-face, however. More than four in five Canadians say they have been the target of an online or phone scam over the last two years. While Canadians lost more than $638 million in 2024 due to fraud, only 5 to 10 per cent of cases are reported to police.
The pollster says for those working in retail, shoplifting, verbal abuse and physical threats have become the norm.
It also found that the proportion of Canadians who feel comfortable walking alone in their neighbourhood after dark has dropped compared to data collected in 2015 and 2022.
