Table 4
Police-reported crime and proportion deemed unfounded, selected offences, Canada, 2018 to 2020


Table 4
Police-reported crime and proportion deemed unfounded, selected offences, Canada, 2018 to 2020
Table summary
This table displays the results of Police-reported crime and proportion deemed unfounded. The information is grouped by Type of offence (appearing as row headers), 2018, 2019, 2020, Reported and Unfounded, calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).
Type of offence 2018 2019Note r: revised 2020
Reported Unfounded Reported Unfounded Reported Unfounded
number number percent number number percent number number percent
Total Criminal Code (excluding traffic) 2,186,628 143,300 7 2,353,517 143,723 6 2,141,472 126,693 6
Total violent crime 478,598 51,759 11 534,289 53,350 10 524,275 47,626 9
Homicide 658 0 0 687 0 0 743 0 0
Other violations causing deathTable 4 Note 1 150 17 11 131 13 10 133 15 11
Attempted murder 827 6 1 881 6 1 869 5 1
Sexual assault - level 3 - aggravated 172 14 8 134 9 7 143 7 5
Sexual assault - level 2 - weapon or bodily harm 513 23 4 562 27 5 631 23 4
Sexual assault - level 1 31,633 3,724 12 33,774 3,439 10 30,616 2,721 9
Sexual offence occurring prior to January 4, 1983Table 4 Note 2 593 19 3 584 20 3 455 7 2
Sexual violations against childrenTable 4 Note 3 Table 4 Note 4 10,301 1,226 12 11,701 1,362 12 11,486 1,098 10
Assault - level 3 - aggravated 3,633 49 1 4,035 62 2 3,865 48 1
Assault - level 2 - weapon or bodily harm 55,791 1,573 3 61,449 1,745 3 66,499 1,692 3
Assault - level 1 190,124 19,986 11 209,553 21,367 10 195,636 18,056 9
Assault against a peace officer 11,796 45 Note 0svalue rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 12,263 41 Note 0svalue rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 12,141 33 Note 0svalue rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Other assaults 2,358 234 10 2,560 311 12 2,224 239 11
Firearms - use of, discharge, pointing 3,121 260 8 3,831 287 7 4,494 357 8
Robbery 23,781 1,231 5 24,696 1,325 5 20,451 1,183 6
Forcible confinement or kidnapping 3,987 497 12 4,237 522 12 4,012 544 14
Trafficking in personsTable 4 Note 5 288 50 17 450 63 14 406 64 16
Extortion 4,890 166 3 4,392 158 4 5,620 125 2
Criminal harassment 24,769 5,078 21 28,284 5,136 18 29,188 4,866 17
Uttering threats 78,767 11,961 15 92,658 11,830 13 95,478 11,307 12
Indecent or harassing communicationsTable 4 Note 6 22,420 4,648 21 27,927 4,596 16 30,180 4,378 15
Non-consensual distribution of intimate images 1,665 182 11 2,206 218 10 2,456 239 10
Offences in relation to sexual servicesTable 4 Note 7 1,082 38 4 1,232 71 6 799 41 5
Other violent Criminal Code violations 5,279 732 14 6,062 742 12 5,750 578 10
Total property crime 1,308,062 66,979 5 1,386,324 66,139 5 1,225,174 58,188 5
Breaking and entering 171,488 11,159 7 172,897 11,355 7 147,145 9,629 7
Possess stolen propertyTable 4 Note 8 25,794 1,436 6 27,388 1,404 5 23,866 1,181 5
Theft of motor vehicle 95,445 9,253 10 95,683 8,638 9 85,458 7,303 9
Theft over $5,000 (non-motor vehicle) 21,456 1,352 6 22,677 1,312 6 21,410 1,138 5
Shoplifting under $5,000 126,002 1,106 1 142,367 1,952 1 92,761 1,857 2
Theft of $5,000 or under (non-motor vehicle) 428,338 20,771 5 444,416 19,773 4 360,776 17,255 5
Fraud 136,416 6,408 5 148,360 6,347 4 143,504 5,493 4
Identity theft 3,960 145 4 4,902 170 3 7,478 188 3
Identity fraud 16,261 413 3 20,402 430 2 23,055 461 2
MischiefTable 4 Note 9 273,597 13,680 5 297,694 13,438 5 309,654 12,469 4
Arson 9,305 1,256 13 9,538 1,320 14 10,067 1,214 12
Total other Criminal Code offences 399,968 24,562 6 432,904 24,234 6 392,023 20,879 5
Weapons violations 19,067 2,478 13 21,380 2,647 12 21,537 2,052 10
Child pornographyTable 4 Note 10 Table 4 Note 11 6,733 799 12 9,788 911 9 11,925 870 7
ProstitutionTable 4 Note 7 121 6 5 147 8 5 77 11 14
TerrorismTable 4 Note 12 185 77 42 174 78 45 125 55 44
Disturb the peace 100,385 6,006 6 114,518 5,714 5 111,779 4,521 4
Administration of justice violations 240,720 11,470 5 250,275 11,336 5 211,466 10,004 5
Other violations 32,757 3,726 11 36,622 3,540 10 35,114 3,366 10
Total Criminal Code traffic violations 129,743 3,853 3 140,772 3,697 3 128,401 3,157 2
Alcohol-impaired drivingTable 4 Note 13 69,261 3,253 5 75,492 2,509 3 63,363 2,052 3
Drug-impaired drivingTable 4 Note 14 4,824 380 8 6,837 364 5 7,885 375 5
Alcohol- and drug-impaired drivingTable 4 Note 15 330 63 19 4,933 454 9 7,455 350 5
Impaired driving (not specified)Table 4 Note 15 125 12 10 2,060 191 9 1,937 260 13
Other Criminal Code traffic violations 55,203 145 Note 0svalue rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 51,450 179 Note 0svalue rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded 47,761 120 Note 0svalue rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
Total drug offences 87,523 2,596 3 71,953 2,004 3 68,437 1,610 2
Total other federal statute violations 27,482 1,299 5 25,391 1,713 7 21,469 2,718 13
Human trafficking under the Immigration and Refugee Protection ActTable 4 Note 16 133 16 12 175 16 9 190 17 9
Youth Criminal Justice Act 4,843 78 2 2,880 57 2 1,694 18 1
Quarantine ActTable 4 Note 17 Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable Note ...: not applicable 1,215 284 23
Other federal statutes 22,506 1,205 5 22,336 1,640 7 18,370 2,399 13
Total - all violations 2,431,376 151,048 6 2,591,633 151,137 6 2,359,779 134,178 6
... not applicable
0s value rounded to 0 (zero) where there is a meaningful distinction between true zero and the value that was rounded
r revised
Note 1

Includes, for example, criminal negligence causing death.

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Note 2

In 2019, the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey added a new violation code to collect information on “sexual offences which occurred prior to January 4, 1983.” While most violations are not typically reported years after their occurrence, sexual violations may be reported by a victim long after the incident took place due to a variety of reasons. On January 4, 1983, Canadian legislation surrounding sexual offences changed considerably. In order to reflect these changes, the Survey added the new violation code rather than collect historical offences under an existing violation code that did not reflect the state of Canadian legislation at the time of the offence.

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Note 3

Excludes sexual assaults against children and youth, which are reported as level 1, 2 or 3 sexual assault.

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Note 4

Includes sexual interference, invitation to sexual touching, sexual exploitation, luring a child via telecommunications/agreement or arrangement, making sexually explicit material available to a child for the purpose of facilitating sexual offences against children/youth, and the offences of parent or guardian procuring sexual activity, householder permitting prohibited sexual activity, agreement or arrangement of a sexual offence against a child, and bestiality in the presence of or inciting a child (s. 160(3)). Incidents of child pornography are not included in the category of sexual violations against children.

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Note 5

"Trafficking in persons" includes four specific indictable offences to address human trafficking, namely sections 279.01 (Trafficking in persons), 279.011 (Trafficking of a person under the age of eighteen years), 279.02 (Material benefit), and 279.03 (Withholding or destroying documents).

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Note 6

This offence was amended in 2015 in the former Bill C-13 Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act to include all means of telecommunication, not only phone calls.

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Note 7

In December 2014, new legislation came into effect governing prostitution-related activities. The new legislation targets “the exploitation that is inherent in prostitution and the risks of violence posed to those who engage in it” (Criminal Code Chapter 25, preamble). New violations classified as “offences in relation to sexual services” under “violent crime” include: the purchasing of sexual services or communicating for that purpose, receiving a material benefit deriving from the purchase of sexual services, procuring of persons for the purpose of prostitution and advertising sexual services offered for sale. In addition, a number of other offences related to prostitution continue to be considered non-violent offences and are classified under “other Criminal Code offences.”. These include communicating to provide sexual services for consideration and stopping or impeding traffic for the purpose of offering, providing or obtaining sexual services for consideration.

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Note 8

Includes trafficking and the intent to traffic stolen goods.

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Note 9

Includes altering/removing/destroying a vehicle identification number.

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Note 10

Due to the complexity of cyber incidents, these data likely reflect the number of active or closed investigations for the year rather than the total number of incidents reported to police. Data are based on police-reported incidents that are recorded in police services’ records management systems.

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Note 11

The offence of “child pornography” includes offences under section 163.1 of the Criminal Code which makes it illegal to access, possess, make, print, or distribute child pornography. When the actual victim is not identified, this offence is reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey with the most serious offence being “child pornography” which falls under the larger crime category of “other Criminal Code offences”. In cases where an actual victim is identified, police will report the most serious offence as sexual assault, sexual exploitation or other sexual violations against children, which fall under the category of “violent crime” and child pornography may be reported as a secondary violation.

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Note 12

Includes seven terrorism violations which were introduced mid-year in 2013, as a result of the enactment of former Bill S-7 "An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act and the Security of Information Act." An additional terrorism violation code was introduced in late 2015, as a result of the enactment of former Bill C-51 "Anti-terrorism Act." Due to the length of time for investigations to confirm whether or not the incident is founded, annual counts of terrorism offences are subject to revisions downwards when revised data are released one year after the initial release; therefore, changes between the current year of data and the previous year should be interpreted with caution.

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Note 13

Includes alcohol-impaired operation of a vehicle, alcohol-impaired operation of a vehicle causing death or bodily harm, failure or refusal to comply with testing for the presence of alcohol and failure or refusal to provide a breath or blood sample. In some jurisdictions, including British Columbia, impaired driving incidents that meet the elements of the Criminal Code may be handled using a provincial statute. Collection of these incidents is not within the scope of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

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Note 14

Includes drug-impaired operation of a vehicle, drug-impaired operation of a vehicle causing death or bodily harm, failure or refusal to comply with testing for the presence of drugs and failure or refusal to provide a breath or blood sample. In some jurisdictions, including British Columbia, impaired driving incidents that meet the elements of the Criminal Code may be handled using a provincial statute. Collection of these incidents is not within the scope of the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.

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Note 15

Reflects new impaired driving offences as per former Bill C-46 "An Act to amend the Criminal Code (offences relating to conveyances) and to make consequential amendments to other Acts" which came into effect part way through 2018.

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Note 16

Includes human trafficking violations under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Data specific to these offences are not available prior to 2011.

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Note 17

The Quarantine Act is applicable to persons arriving in or departing from Canada. It provides measures for the screening, health assessment and medical examination of travellers to determine whether they have a communicable disease and to prevent the introduction and spread of such disease. The Quarantine Act requires any persons entering Canada—whether by air, sea or land—to quarantine (self-isolate) themselves for 14 days if they are asymptomatic in order to limit the introduction and spread of COVID-19. The 14-day period begins on the day the person enters Canada. With the Government of Canada's March 2020 announcement of restrictions on persons arriving in or departing from Canada, pursuant to its powers under the Quarantine Act, the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey was adjusted to add a specific Quarantine Act violation code. As police services adopt this new code and adjust to the new reporting requirements, there may be data revisions made to correct any misreporting of these incidents. Revised data will be available for the 2021 UCR release. Therefore, the percentage changes from 2019 to 2020 and 2010 to 2020 are not shown.

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Note: Data for unfounded incidents are available from 2017 onward even though inconsistencies in reporting may still exist. Police-reported statistics may be affected by differences in the way police services deal with offences. In some instances, police or municipalities might choose to deal with some offences using municipal bylaws or provincial provisions rather than Criminal Code provisions. Counts are based on the most serious violation in the incident. One incident may involve multiple violations.
Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
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