/lightcatch/images/image-5a9e0.png "Lightcatch Logo for menu")
The level of town crime rose so significantly that for the first time the top half of all towns, (38 of 76) had a higher crime rate than the top half of cities (8 of 16). That is big.
The six highest rural crime locations had triple the amount of crime at least ½ of the other counties in the province experienced.
The six cities with the highest property crime rates from highest to lowest were Cold Lake, Wetaskawin, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary.
If Cold Lake had a crime rate that was higher than the bottom eight cities, instead of all 16 cities. there would have been 37 property crimes instead of 111!
See where 162 communities ranked on a crime per 1,000 basis in Aug. Rankings sorted by region, city, town, and rural communities, are also included
The highest crime rates in Alberta during August may be a surprise for some and a confirmation for others
/lightcatch/cities-s84b5.png)
The six cities with the highest property crime rates from highest to lowest were Cold Lake, Wetaskawin, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Edmonton and Calgary.
How much extra crime did residents in Cold Lake experience? If Cold Lake had a crime rate that was higher than the bottom eight cities, instead of all 16 cities. there would have been 37 property crimes instead of 111!
If every recorded property crime had an average cost of $2,500 per incident how much extra did the residents in Cold Lake have to pay in July?
Cold Lake citizens paid an extra $185,756 compared to the bottom eight cities in the province.
If other cities in the same province can have much lower crime rates why can’t these places do the same?
All Cities Ranked Highest To Lowest
Here is a list of the cities with their ranking among 164 municipalities on the left, then total property crimes, as well as the crime rate per 1,000 residents.
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
8 Cold Lake 111 7.09
28 Wetaskiwin 56 4.43
33 Grande Prairie 267 4.16
35 Red Deer 413 4.10
38 Edmonton 3668 3.63
44 Calgary* 3983 3.21
50 Leduc 96 2.82
66 St. Albert 169 2.48
Half of the cities in the province had a crime rate lower than the pink line in the chart of 2.34
75 Brooks 33 2.21
84 Spruce Grove 74 1.97
87 Fort Saskatchewan 52 1.92
113 Chestermere 32 1.54
114 Sherwood Park 153 1.54
127 Airdrie 93 1.26
137 Beaumont 22 1.05
147 High River 15 0.65
These are the most dangerous places in Alberta for Aug 2023, based on property crime rates per resident.
/lightcatch/most_dangerous-gb659.png)
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
1 - Bonnyville 61 9.53
2 - Valleyview 15 8.97
3 - St Paul 49 8.36
4 - Enoch Cree Nation 14 8.28
5 - High Prairie 19 7.41
6 - Barrhead 32 7.41
/lightcatch/edm-t09d4.png)
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
5 Enoch Cree Nation 14 8.28
29 Leduc County 60 4.35
38 Edmonton 3668 3.63
39 Legal 5 3.51
43 Gibbons 10 3.31
50 Leduc 96 2.82
Three cities close to Edmonton, Sherwood Park, St. Alberta, and Beaumont had some of the lowest crime rates in the province, so the Edmonton region itself is not the primary cause of the higher crime.
/lightcatch/cal-zb6b1.png)
The Calgary region has a much lower crime rate overall when compared to the Edmonton region.
This shows having a safer community is possible.
Here are the six highest crime rates in the Calgary region.
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
44 Calgary* 3983 3.21
53 Stoney Nakoda First Nation 11 2.78
77 Black Diamond 6 2.20
110 Rocky View County 64 1.62
113 Chestermere 32 1.54
118 Crossfield 5 1.39
The six highest crime locations in the Central Alberta region are below.
/lightcatch/central_08-k1ac5.jpg)
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
7 Barrhead 32 7.41
12 O'Chiese 5 6.34
13 Ermineskin 138 15 6.11
17 Alberta Beach 6 5.89
20 Onoway 5 5.18
21 Ponoka 36 4.91
Some Eastern Alberta towns and cities have the highest crime rate in Alberta per capita.
/lightcatch/East-cc4a9.png)
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
2 MD of Opportunity 40 12.57
4 Bonnyville 71 11.09
5 St Paul 65 11.09
9 Cold Lake 135 8.62
15 Vegreville 35 6.13
19 Athabasca 14 5.07
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
2 Valleyview 15 8.97
6 High Prairie 19 7.41
9 High Level 22 6.96
19 Peace River 37 5.59
23 MD of Greenview 43 4.70
33 Grande Prairie 267 4.16
/lightcatch/gp-mad0c.png)
The Alberta Badlands and Southern Alberta regions have a much lower crime rate than other regions in Alberta overall.
/lightcatch/southern-681cd.png)
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
18 Flagstaff County 22 5.89
30 Siksika 146 15 4.31
32 Fort Macleod 13 4.18
51 Kneehill County 14 2.80
55 Pincher Creek 10 2.75
63 Crowsnest Pass 14 2.50
/lightcatch/rockies-d025a.png)
Rural Crime rose significantly in August in some places. These locations had the highest crime rates in the province.
/lightcatch/rural-u6a56.png)
These six locations had triple the rural crime compared to the bottom 35+ rural regions compiled.
Ranking out of 162 Communities | Place| Total Property Crimes | Crimes Per 1,000 Residents
5 Enoch Cree Nation 14 8.28
10 MD of Opportunity 22 6.92
12 O'Chiese 5 6.34
13 Ermineskin 138 15 6.11
14 Smoky Lake County 25 6.09
15 Lac La Biche County 46 6.00
These towns had crime rates triple what the bottom 38 towns have.
/lightcatch/towns-t8a20.png)
Ranking Locations Across Alberta
Below are 162 cities, towns and counties ranked from the highest crime to the lowest.
The list shows the ranking in April, then the name of the Municipality, then the crimes per 1,000 residents, and the last number is the total reported crimes.
A 2 beside the name shows a community with less than 1,000 people.
Ranking | Municipality| Crimes per 1,000 Residents| Reported Crimes
1 Bonnyville 61 9.53
2 Valleyview 15 8.97
3 St Paul 49 8.36
4 Smoky Lake2 8 8.30
5 Enoch Cree Nation 14 8.28
6 High Prairie 19 7.41
7 Barrhead 32 7.41
8 Cold Lake 111 7.09
9 High Level 22 6.96
10 MD of Opportunity 22 6.92
11 Hay Lake 2092 6 6.80
12 O'Chiese 5 6.34
13 Ermineskin 138 15 6.11
14 Smoky Lake County 25 6.09
15 Lac La Biche County 46 6.00
16 Improvement District No. 9 6 5.98
17 Alberta Beach 6 5.89
18 Flagstaff County 22 5.89
19 Peace River 37 5.59
20 Onoway 5 5.18
21 Ponoka 36 4.91
22 Samson Cree Nation 16 4.74
23 MD of Greenview 43 4.70
24 Hinton 45 4.58
25 Vegreville 26 4.56
26 Mayerthorpe 6 4.55
27 Wood Buffalo 317 4.43
28 Wetaskiwin 56 4.43
29 Leduc County 60 4.35
30 Siksika 146 15 4.31
31 Drayton Valley 31 4.28
32 Fort Macleod 13 4.18
33 Grande Prairie 267 4.16
34 Rocky Mountain House 28 4.14
35 Red Deer 413 4.10
36 Rimbey 10 3.90
37 Edson 31 3.70
38 Edmonton 3668 3.63
39 Legal 5 3.51
40 Whitecourt 34 3.50
41 Penhold 12 3.44
42 Slave Lake 22 3.31
43 Gibbons 10 3.31
44 Calgary* 3983 3.21
45 Lamont 5 3.03
46 Saddle Hills County 7 3.03
47 Yellowhead County 33 3.00
48 Athabasca County 23 2.92
49 Athabasca 8 2.90
50 Leduc 96 2.82
51 Kneehill County 14 2.80
52 Westlock 20 2.78
53 Stoney Nakoda First Nation 11 2.78
54 County of Westaskawin 31 2.77
55 Pincher Creek 10 2.75
56 Sturgeon County 54 2.69
57 Lamont County 10 2.66
58 Stony Plain 47 2.61
59 Parkland County 83 2.58
60 Northern Sunrise County 5 2.56
61 Improvement District No. 24 Wood Buffalo2 2 2.53
62 Woodlands County 12 2.52
63 Crowsnest Pass 14 2.50
64 Sylvan Lake 40 2.50
65 MD of Bonnyville 32 2.48
66 St. Albert 169 2.48
67 Vermilion 10 2.45
68 Olds 22 2.40
69 Coaldale 21 2.39
70 Beaver County 14 2.37
71 Fairview 7 2.33
72 Redwater 5 2.31
73 Lac Ste. Anne County 25 2.29
74 Bruderheim 3 2.26
75 Brooks 33 2.21
76 Louis Bull 138B 3 2.21
77 Black Diamond 6 2.20
78 Caroline2 1 2.16
79 Castor 2 2.15
80 Redcliff 12 2.15
81 Claresholm 8 2.12
82 Blackfalds 21 2.01
83 Innisfail 16 2.00
84 Spruce Grove 74 1.97
85 Jasper 9 1.96
86 Canmore 27 1.93
87 Fort Saskatchewan 52 1.92
88 Wainwright 12 1.91
89 Red Deer County 37 1.89
90 Strathmore 26 1.89
91 Bighorn No. 8 3 1.87
92 Berwyn 1 1.86
93 Bentley 2 1.86
94 Lethbridge County 19 1.84
95 Calmar 4 1.83
96 Sundre 5 1.83
97 Fox Creek 3 1.83
98 Brazeau County 13 1.81
99 Stettler 10 1.80
100 Beaverlodge 4 1.76
101 Cypress County 14 1.73
102 Lac La Biche 4 1.73
103 Devon 11 1.67
104 Westlock County 12 1.66
105 Bassano 2 1.66
106 Banff 13 1.66
107 Three Hills 5 1.64
108 Lacombe County 22 1.64
109 Ponoka County 16 1.63
110 Rocky View County 64 1.62
111 Rycroft2 1 1.59
112 Strathcona County 153 1.56
113 Chestermere 32 1.54
114 Sherwood Park 153 1.54
115 Thorhild County 5 1.54
|116 Saddle Lake 125 6 1.51
117 Newell County 11 1.41
118 Crossfield 5 1.39
119 Cochrane 44 1.37
120 County of Grande Prairie 30 1.35
121 Bon Accord 2 1.31
122 County of Barrhead 8 1.27
123 Clearwater County 15 1.26
124 Sunchild 2022 1 1.26
125 Pincher Creek No. 9 4 1.26
126 Coalhurst 4 1.26
127 Airdrie 93 1.26
128 Drumheller 10 1.25
129 Big Lakes County 7 1.23
130 Vermilion River County 10 1.21
131 Alexis 1332 1 1.20
132 Willow Creek No. 26 7 1.17
133 St. Paul County 7 1.16
134 Okotoks 34 1.12
135 Cardston 4 1.12
136 Unipouheos 1212 1 1.09
137 Beaumont 22 1.05
138 Eckville 1 0.99
139 Minburn County No. 27 3 0.97
140 Stettler County 5 0.94
141 Mountain View County 12 0.92
142 Wainwright No. 61 4 0.90
143 Mackenzie County 10 0.90
144 Foothills County 19 0.83
145 Bowden 1 0.78
146 Morinville 8 0.77
147 High River 15 0.65
148 Clear Hills 2 0.63
149 Didsbury 8 0.62
150 Camrose County 5 0.59
151 Wheatland County 5 0.57
152 Bow Island 1 0.50
153 Taber 4 0.47
154 Nanton 1 0.46
155 Sexsmith 1 0.41
156 County of Forty Mile 1 0.28
157 Alix 0 0.00
158 Bashaw 0 0.00
159 Delburne 0 0.00
160 Wembley 0 0.00
161 Viking2 0 0.00
162 Special Area No. 4 0 0.00
163 Beaver Lake 1312 0 0.00
Where These Charts and Data Came From
There are over 300 Municipalities in Alberta counting Villages and Reserves. We gather all the RCMP data, Calgary Police Service Data and Edmonton Police Service data that is publicly available. The goal is to report on the major areas and trends, not every single village.
Of the 300 RCMP reported areas this report covers 163 of the larger ones. The crimes are then compared to the population to get the crimes per 1,000 residents.
This method helps make the easiest comparison between locations. This method is also what the FBI uses to look at crime across America.
Calgary* data is only available as recent as of June 2023
Calgary Property Crime Data
Commercial Robbery 29
Property Crimes 4450
Fraud (496)
Total 3983
Edmonton Property Crime Rate Data
Break and Enter Commercial 201
Break and Enter Residential 329
Graffiti 16
Mischief - Property 544
Property Damage 10
Robbery Commercial 10
Theft of Motor Vehicle 461
Theft Over $5000 110
Theft Under $5000 1976
Grand Total 3668
2- These are communities with a population lower than 1,000. They were not included in the crime ranking charts.
Independent police services like the Lethbridge Police Service, the Lacombe Police Service, and The Medicine Hat Police service do not seem to report the property crime rates publicly and are not included in these rankings. If there is a way to access data for these and any other police services please put a comment below..
Hythe property crime was included in the County of Grande Prairie's count. Grande Cache property crime was included in the MD of Greenview's count. Grande Centre was included in the Cold Lake data. Wabumum is included in Parkland County's county.
Strathcona County and Sherwood Park both got included in the August report though they are the same region.
Due to the difficulties in collecting this data some locations in Alberta may not be included.