Vancouver Police says violent crime lowest in 20 years

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) responded to reports of a shooting around 7:50 p.m. on April 3, 2024, near Homer Street and West Pender Street. (CityNews Image)

By Charlie Carey and Charles Brockman

Posted June 19, 2025 10:42 am.

New data from the Vancouver Police Department suggests the rate of violent crime is falling since the beginning of the year.

A report going to the Vancouver Police Board Thursday says that the decline is so substantial, these are the lowest numbers in more than 20 years.

“Total crime decreased by 0.9% in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, from 10,012 to 9,921 crimes,” the report stated.

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“Violent crime declined by 11.2% in Q1 2025 compared to Q1 2024, with the number of cases dropping from 1,342 to 1,192 – the lowest number of violent crimes on record in Vancouver going back to the implementation of PRIME in 2002.”

The VPD is sharing the data to highlight Task Force Barrage, a specialized initiative launched in February focused in the Downtown Eastside.

The report highlights that property crime has also dropped by four per cent between January and March, with the overall number of cases falling from more than 7,290 to 7,000.

Meanwhile, the report shares that incidents involving people under the Mental Health Act rose by seven per cent in the first quarter of this year, with the total number of calls jumping to 1,050 from 981 during the same time period in 2024.

According to the VPD, 474 individuals were apprehended 578 times under the Act between January and March — a 2.8 per cent increase compared to quarter one in 2024.

The Police Board meeting is slated to begin at 1 p.m. You can watch CityNews 24/7 live or listen live to 1130 NewsRadio Vancouver to keep up to date with this story. You can also subscribe to breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

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