Oak Bay’s crime severity index (CSI) has dropped to its lowest point in five years, signaling a shift after two consecutive years of increase. In 2024, the municipality recorded a CSI of 23.63, representing a 22.95% decrease from the previous year.
The CSI, developed by Statistics Canada, gives a clearer picture of public safety by accounting for both the number and seriousness of crimes reported to police. Unlike the traditional crime rate, which only tracks incidents per 100,000 residents, the CSI weighs the severity of each offense, giving greater weight to violent crimes.
Oak Bay saw its highest CSI in 2023 at 30.67, but that trend reversed last year. In 2024, the violent crime severity index dropped by 35.6% to 18.16, while the non-violent crime severity index declined by 18.49% to 26.01.
Neighbouring Saanich also reported a significant improvement. The district’s CSI dropped to 37.19 in 2024, its lowest in five years. Other nearby communities saw the following CSI scores: Central Saanich at 25.50, Sidney at 58.79, and North Saanich at 35.59.
Victoria, although experiencing a 10.5% drop in its overall CSI in 2024, still logged the highest CSI among municipal police departments in the province. This decrease was largely due to a 17.5% reduction in non-violent crime. However, the Victoria Police Department, which also oversees Esquimalt, noted that the downtown area’s high activity level plays a key role in inflating overall statistics.
Across British Columbia, the 2024 provincial CSI fell to 92.98—the lowest since 2020. This placed B.C. seventh among all provinces and territories in Canada. The Northwest Territories reported the highest CSI in the country at 526.92.
B.C.’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, Nina Krieger, called the new data “encouraging.” She credited the decline to combined efforts across government levels, law enforcement, First Nations, community groups, and businesses.
Krieger highlighted several initiatives driving these improvements, including expanded integrated response teams and targeted enforcement aimed at repeat violent offenders and organized crime. As a result, the province saw notable drops in several crime categories: violent firearm offenses declined by 20%, homicides fell by 24%, robberies by 8%, and mischief by 4%.
“These numbers reflect the positive impacts of our new public safety programs,” said Krieger in a statement. “We’re seeing how local and provincial collaboration is making our communities safer.”
Still, Krieger acknowledged that challenges remain. “There are areas that require renewed attention,” she said. “We’re committed to doing more to ensure all British Columbians can live in secure and thriving communities.”
At the national level, Canada’s overall CSI dropped by 4.08% in 2024, bringing the figure to 77.89. This marks the first decline after three consecutive years of increase.
While local progress is notable, experts stress the importance of sustained focus on safety efforts. Public awareness, improved policing, and consistent support for mental health and community services are all considered essential to keeping crime severity on a downward trend.
The latest figures suggest that with the right policies and partnerships in place, communities like Oak Bay can continue to build on this momentum, offering residents a safer environment to live and work.
