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Table 3-1
Police officers and crime rates — in census metropolitan areas
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| 2007 population 1 | 2008 number of police officers 2 | 2008 police officers per 100,000 population 3 | Percentage change in rate of officers 1998 to 2008 | 2008 population per officer 3 | 2007 crime rate 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| number | rate | percent | rate | |||
| 500,000 and over population | ||||||
| Montréal | 3,729,820 | 6,997 | 188 | 7.2 | 533 | 5,958 |
| Winnipeg 5 | 732,048 | 1,364 | 186 | 1.3 | 537 | 9,644 |
| Toronto | 5,510,424 | 9,585 | 174 | 2.9 | 575 | 4,461 |
| Hamilton | 707,333 | 1,081 | 153 | 8.4 | 654 | 5,511 |
| Edmonton | 1,095,968 | 1,667 | 152 | 5.6 | 657 | 9,572 |
| Ottawa 6 | 890,013 | 1,350 | 152 | 9.1 | 659 | 5,457 |
| Calgary | 1,145,924 | 1,711 | 149 | 13.1 | 670 | 6,202 |
| Vancouver 5 | 2,286,517 | 3,410 | 149 | 3.8 | 678 | 9,136 |
| Québec | 732,452 | 1,019 | 139 | 3.1 | 719 | 4,524 |
| 100,000 to less than 500,000 population | ||||||
| Thunder Bay | 122,540 | 266 | 217 | 16.1 | 461 | 8,819 |
| Saint John 7 | 101,429 | 208 | 205 | 16.5 | 488 | 8,292 |
| Regina | 203,453 | 386 | 190 | 9.7 | 527 | 11,827 |
| Windsor | 332,710 | 603 | 181 | 9.8 | 552 | 6,138 |
| Saskatoon | 250,269 | 449 | 179 | 18.8 | 557 | 11,560 |
| Halifax 5 | 385,457 | 679 | 176 | 14.4 | 568 | 7,954 |
| St. Catharines-Niagara | 433,946 | 727 | 168 | 23.2 | 597 | 5,711 |
| St. John's | 182,605 | 303 | 166 | 11.4 | 603 | 7,325 |
| Trois-Rivières | 146,740 | 227 | 155 | 19.0 | 646 | 4,478 |
| Greater Sudbury | 162,438 | 249 | 153 | 10.3 | 652 | 5,627 |
| Victoria | 338,747 | 511 | 151 | -1.7 | 656 | 9,335 |
| Sherbrooke | 149,875 | 227 | 151 | 26.2 | 660 | 4,831 |
| Kitchener | 496,370 | 743 | 150 | 18.8 | 668 | 4,906 |
| Gatineau 8 | 292,720 | 431 | 147 | 0.8 | 679 | 5,718 |
| London | 476,640 | 693 | 145 | 21.2 | 688 | 7,296 |
| Abbotsford 9 | 169,084 | 242 | 143 | 17.2 | 699 | 10,341 |
| Kingston 9 | 152,833 | 218 | 143 | 12.7 | 701 | 5,970 |
| Saguenay | 144,924 | 179 | 124 | 17.6 | 810 | 4,398 |
Populations are based on July 1st preliminary postcensal populations for 2007 (based on the 2001 Census in 2006 Census boundaries), Demography Division, Statistics Canada. Populations are adjusted to follow policing boundaries. Census metropolitan area populations for 2008 are not yet available.
Represents actual police officer strength as of May 15th, 2008.
Based on the number of police officers in 2008 and census metropolitan area populations for 2007. Census metropolitan area populations for 2008 are not yet available.
Crime rate represents the number of Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) per 100,000 population. Crime data for 2008 are not yet available.
Police officer counts include officers deployed to contract positions (e.g. airport, port, United Nations Mission).
Represents the Ontario portion of the Ottawa-Gatineau census metropolitan area.
Since 2005, the Hampton Police service is no longer included in the census metropolitan area population for Saint John, resulting in a higher rate of police strength than in past years.
Represents the Quebec portion of the Ottawa-Gatineau census metropolitan area.
Percentage change in rate from 2001 to 2008.
Note(s):
The numbers in table 3-1 do not agree with those in table 3-2 (which report data at the level of individual police services) because most census metropolitan areas comprise more than one police service. The census metropolitan area of Oshawa is not included due to incongruities between policing jurisdiction and census metropolitan area boundaries. Crimes investigated by Royal Canadian Mounted Police federal personnel within census metropolitan areas are included; however police officer counts do not include Royal Canadian Mounted Police federal police officers. While Table 3-1 may be used to compare major metropolitan areas, table 3-2 may be used to compare major police services in Canada.
Source(s):
Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Police Administration Survey and Uniform Crime Reporting Survey.
