The Most Dangerous Cities In Alberta - March 2023 Edition

Wait! The most current crime data is now from August 2023 not March.

To see the latest you may want to visit - The Highest Crime Rates In Alberta – August 2023

These are the police reported crime rankings for 162 cities, towns, counties and communities across Alberta during March 2023.

All rankings are done on a per 1,000 resident basis so the comparisons are equal.

Cities With The Highest Crime in March

Here is a chart showing the cities in Alberta with the highest crime rates.

Cold Lake had the highest crime rate. Grande Prairie was #2, Red Deer was #3, Wetaskawin was #4, Edmonton #5, and Calgary was #6.

Adding up all of the property crimes from these 6 cities, totals 7,546 property crimes in March. The remaining 156 cities, towns and counties property crimes total 3,109 or less than half.

Not only are the total crimes much higher, but the highest crime cities had 34% more crime per resident.

For every 3 property crimes others in the province would experience, people in these cities ended up paying for 4 crimes.

Taxpayers in these locations subsidized the higher crime rate through insurance claims and irreversible out of pocket losses.

These aren't the only hot spots for crime in the province though, here are the highest crime locations for any municipality with over 1,000 people.

Bonnyville was once again #1 in the province. Alberta Beach was #2, High Prairie was #3, Barrhead #4, Samson Cree Nation #5 and Vegreville #6.

Residents in Bonnyville experienced a crime rate that was 400% higher than 32 other towns in Alberta below the 2.11 line. It was also higher than the 31 other towns above this line.

It is only 51km between Bonnyville and Cold Lake. Those two municipalities both ranked 1st in crime for their category. The Municipal District of Bonnyville surrounds both the town and the city yet, the MD of Bonnyville does not have a high crime rate. Instead, it has one of the lowest crime rates and has had a relatively low crime rate for some time.

If crime was a pervasive unstoppable force in the region, the MD should also have a terrible crime rate, instead it has a very safe ranking. Even when compared to other counties or municipal district's the MD's crime rate per resident is among the lowest in the province.

It seems very likely that some condition within those two places is allowing these high crime rates to exist.

In another example using the Edmonton region, Sherwood Park (officially Strathcona County) has maintained one of the lowest crime rates for a city in the province for several months, while Edmonton, Leduc, and Leduc County have had some of the highest property crime rates in the province.

In yet another example, the County of Grande Prairie has had one of the lowest crime rates in the province for over two years, while the City of Grande Prairie has been one of the highest crime locations in the province for several years. Like the MD of Bonnyville surrounds Bonnyville and Cold Lake, the County of Grande Prairie surrounds the City of Grande Prairie. Driving between the city and the county it is almost impossible to tell where the city ends and where the county begins in several directions, yet the crime rate is significantly different.

These examples contradict the common talking points that police response times or policing staff levels are some of the biggest priorities when it comes to stopping crime.

Put another way, if police response times or policing staff levels were the most important factors for residents to be safe, then there should not be such high crime locations right next to or inside the safest locations in different places across the province.

The same police force that covers both regions can't be responsible for both the bad and good results! Especially when the differences start and stop at municipal borders, not the policing borders.

These safer communities show a municipal council's policies play a much bigger role in community safety than police response times or policing staff levels.

If a community consistently engages the local police service in a proactive, legal way those communities are often much safer.

Also, if a civic administration makes poor decisions that promote conditions for property crime to prosper than that can undo some community engagement, but not stop it completely.

The opposite is also true. When a community remains proactive and a civic administration makes decisions that promote a safe community, then it becomes very difficult for property crime to get to high levels.

There is very little else to explain such wide differences in the data.

The top 10 worst places to live in Alberta for property crime are a result of some combination of people being complacent, disengaged, or a municipal council creating conditions that allowed property crime to prosper.

For property owners who can't wait for a community to become engaged before their assets and people are safe Crime Blocker will transform your safety experience and improve the security on a property 200-1000%.

Towns in Alberta

This chart looks almost identical to the highest crime locations, showing that the highest levels of crime exist at the Town level.

Town residents should be aware that their property can quickly have a very high risk exposure to property crimes. Knowing this can be used to better manage your risk to property and safety.

Rural Crime - High Crime Locations in March 2023

Samson Cree Nation had the highest rural crime rate in the province in March. This was followed by Smoky Lake County, Leduc County, Improvement District No. 9 (Jasper) area, and Enoch Cree Nation.

Reserves are compared against other rural crime counties, municipal districts and special areas in the rural crime chart.

Comparing Regions of Alberta

Dividing the province into the 8 regions below can be helpful to compare crime rates in a region.

Edmonton Crime - Cost Center of Alberta

Areas around the city of Edmonton are where taxpayers are really absorbing the high costs and risks of crime. Not only is Edmonton one of the six cities that had 34% more crime than the rest of the province in March, the entire region has pockets of crime hot spots.

Leduc County was #1, Legal #2, Enoch Cree Nation #3, Edmonton #4, Stony Plain #5, and Spruce Grove #6.

Notice the locations of the lines in the Edmonton chart and compare them to where the lines are in the Calgary region chart.

All six of the high crime locations in the Calgary chart are below the 3.00 line. Everywhere outside of Calgary is below 2.00. In Edmonton 4 communities are above the 3.00 line.

If the regions around Calgary can have a crime rate lower than 2 per 1,000 residents, the regions around Edmonton should be able to do the same.

Central Alberta

Eastern Alberta

Southern Alberta

The crime rate in the Alberta Badlands area and Southern Alberta areas of the province is so low, both areas are combined.

The highest crime locations in the Alberta Badlands and Southern Alberta regions were:

Three Hills was #1, followed by Cardston, Pincher Creek, Stettler, Special Area No. 4, and Sikiska 146

Grande Prairie

The highest crime locations in the Grande Prairie, Peace River and Northern Alberta regions were:

High Prairie had the highest property crime, followed by Peace River, Northern Sunrise County, Grande Prairie, the MD of Greenview, and Valleyview.

Rockies

Ranking The Highest Crime Locations Across Alberta

Below are 162 cities, towns and counties ranked from the highest crime to the lowest.

The list shows the ranking in March, the name of the Municipality, the crimes per 1,000 residents, and the total reported crimes.

Ranking | Municipality| Crimes per 1,000 Residents| Reported Crimes

1 Smoky Lake2 11.41 11
2 Caroline2 10.78 5
3 Beaver Lake 1312 9.57 4
4 Bonnyville 8.59 55
5 Rycroft2 7.96 5
6 Hay Lake 2092 7.93 7
7 Alberta Beach 7.86 8
8 High Prairie 7.80 20
9 Sunchild 2022 7.58 6
10 Barrhead 7.41 32

11 Alexis 1332 7.21 6
12 Samson Cree Nation 7.12 24
13 Vegreville 7.01 40
14 Smoky Lake County 6.82 28
15 St Paul 6.65 39
16 Unipouheos 1212 6.56 6
17 Cold Lake 6.07 95
18 Peace River 5.74 38
19 Leduc County 5.59 77
20 Mayerthorpe 5.30 7

21 Rimbey 5.06 13
22 Improvement District No. 24 Wood Buffalo2 5.05 4
23 Improvement District No. 9 4.98 5
24 Lac La Biche County 4.95 38
25 Legal 4.92 7
26 Enoch Cree Nation 4.73 8
27 Northern Sunrise County 4.61 9
28 Hinton 4.38 43
29 Lac La Biche 4.32 10
30 Viking2 4.31 4

31 Grande Prairie 3.99 256
32 Athabasca 3.99 11
33 Three Hills 3.94 12
34 Cardston 3.91 14
35 MD of Greenview 3.71 34
36 Whitecourt 3.70 36
37 Louis Bull 138B 3.68 5
38 Lamont 3.64 6
39 Red Deer 3.61 364
40 Pincher Creek 3.57 13

The second highest quartile

41 MD of Opportunity 3.46 11
42 Stettler 3.42 19
43 Wetaskiwin 3.40 43
44 Edmonton 3.39 3424
45 Thorhild County 3.38 11
46 Wainwright 3.35 21
47 Edson 3.34 28
48 Drayton Valley 3.32 24
49 Slave Lake 3.31 22
50 Ermineskin 138 3.26 8

51 Special Area No. 4 3.22 4
52 Vermilion 3.18 13
53 Siksika 146 3.16 11
54 Woodlands County 3.16 15
55 Bighorn No. 8 3.11 5
56 Ponoka 3.00 22
57 Valleyview 2.99 5
58 County of Westaskawin 2.95 33
59 Claresholm 2.91 11
60 Stony Plain 2.83 51

61 Kneehill County 2.80 14
62 Wood Buffalo 2.72 195
63 Calgary* 2.71 3364
64 Spruce Grove 2.71 102
65 Leduc 2.67 91
66 Brazeau County 2.65 19
67 Bon Accord 2.62 4
68 Saddle Hills County 2.60 6
69 Rocky Mountain House 2.51 17
70 Coaldale 2.51 22

71 Yellowhead County 2.36 26
72 Fairview 2.33 7
73 St. Albert 2.32 158
74 Redwater 2.31 5
75 Gibbons 2.31 7
76 Lac Ste. Anne County 2.29 25
77 Fort Saskatchewan 2.25 61
78 Sundre 2.20 6
79 Clearwater County 2.19 26
80 Sylvan Lake 2.19 35

The Safest 50%

81 Flagstaff County 2.14 8
82 Lamont County 2.13 8
83 Strathmore 2.11 29
84 Morinville 2.02 21
85 Red Deer County 2.00 39
86 Sturgeon County 1.99 40
87 Banff 1.91 15
88 High Level 1.90 6
89 Berwyn 1.86 1
90 Bentley 1.86 2

91 Olds 1.85 17
92 Lethbridge County 1.84 19
93 Fox Creek 1.83 3
94 Wainwright No. 61 1.80 8
95 Redcliff 1.79 10
96 Rocky View County 1.78 70
97 Saddle Lake 125 1.76 7
98 Canmore 1.72 24
99 Airdrie 1.70 126
100 Vermilion River County 1.69 14

101 Devon 1.67 11
102 Bassano 1.66 2
103 St. Paul County 1.66 10
104 Sexsmith 1.65 4
105 Parkland County 1.65 53
106 Innisfail 1.63 13
107 Brooks 1.61 24
108 Fort Macleod 1.61 5
109 Big Lakes County 1.59 9
110 County of Grande Prairie 1.57 35

111 MD of Bonnyville 1.55 20
112 Bruderheim 1.50 2
113 Chestermere 1.50 31
114 Strathcona County - Sherwood Park 1.46 143
115 County of Barrhead 1.43 9
116 Athabasca County 1.40 11
117 Crossfield 1.39 5
118 Westlock County 1.39 10
119 Alix 1.36 1
120 Beaverlodge 1.32 3

121 Minburn County No. 27 1.30 4
122 Clear Hills 1.26 4
123 Pincher Creek No. 9 1.26 4
124 Coalhurst 1.26 4
125 Crowsnest Pass 1.25 7
126 Okotoks 1.25 38
127 Castor 1.08 1
128 Onoway 1.04 1
129 Ponoka County 1.02 10
130 Drumheller 1.00 8

131 Willow Creek No. 26 1.00 6
132 Cochrane 0.99 32
133 Didsbury 0.92 12
134 Calmar 0.92 2
135 Lacombe County 0.90 12
136 Penhold 0.86 3
137 Bowden 0.78 1
138 Black Diamond 0.73 2
139 Beaumont 0.72 15
140 Camrose County 0.71 6

141 Westlock 0.70 5
142 Beaver County 0.68 4
143 Blackfalds 0.67 7
144 Wembley 0.66 1
145 Newell County 0.64 5
146 Mountain View County 0.54 7
147 Foothills County 0.53 12
148 Stoney Nakoda First Nation 0.51 2
149 Bow Island 0.50 1
150 Cypress County 0.49 4

151 High River 0.47 11
152 Mackenzie County 0.45 5
153 Jasper 0.44 2
154 Stettler County 0.38 2
155 Taber 0.12 1
156 Wheatland County 0.11 1
157 Bashaw 0.00 0
158 County of Forty Mile 0.00 0
159 Delburne 0.00 0
160 Eckville 0.00 0

161 Nanton 0.00 0
162 O'Chiese 0.00 0

Congratulations to all those who live and work in those communities that experienced zero property crimes in March! From #157 Bashaw to #162 O'Chiese it is great to see a community can experience zero property crimes.

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 124 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*

Calgary data is only available as recent as December 2022.

Calgary Property Crime Data

Commercial Robbery 20
Property Crimes 3746
Fraud (402)
Total 3364

Edmonton Property Crime Data

Break and Enter Commercial 173
Break and Enter Residential 285
Graffiti 14
Mischief - Property 546
Property Damage 5
Robbery Commercial 20
Theft of Motor Vehicle 483
Theft Over $5000 89
Theft Under $5000 1809
Total 3424

Notes About The Data

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.

Due to the difficulties in collecting this data some locations in Alberta may not be included.