Fort McMurray is safer than it was, but crime is still above the Canadian average: the Wood Buffalo RCMP municipal service area, which covers Fort McMurray, had a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 107.96 in 2025, down 16% from 129.19 in 2024 and about 44% above the national 75.0. Its crime rate fell 19% to 11,014 incidents per 100,000 people, according to Statistics Canada (released 22 July 2026), still about twice the national rate.
Data: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0190-01 (Crime Severity Index and weighted clearance rates, police services in Alberta) and Table 35-10-0183-01 (incident-based crime statistics, police services in Alberta), 2025 data released 22 July 2026, checked 26 October 2026. Figures are for “Wood Buffalo, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, municipal”. Comparisons, population and percentages that are not in the tables are our own arithmetic. Updated 26 October 2026.
All figures are for calendar year 2025, the latest full year Statistics Canada has published. Statistics Canada does not publish a census metropolitan area (CMA) for Fort McMurray, so this guide uses the police-service figures.
Key facts
- The Wood Buffalo RCMP municipal service area (Fort McMurray) had a Crime Severity Index of 107.96 in 2025, down 16% from 129.19 in 2024 (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0190-01).
- Fort McMurray’s CSI is about 21% below its 2023 peak of 136.24, the highest value in the 2015–2025 series (our calculation).
- Police recorded 8,629 Criminal Code incidents in 2025, down from 10,498, a rate of 11,014 per 100,000 people (Table 35-10-0183-01).
- Mischief (vandalism and property damage) accounted for 3,056 incidents, or 35% of all crime, a rate about 5.3 times the national rate (our calculation).
- Break-ins fell 39% and motor vehicle thefts fell 44% in 2025; Fort McMurray’s break-in rate of 235 per 100,000 is below the national 262.
- Wood Buffalo RCMP recorded 2 homicides in 2025 (1 in 2024).
What is the crime rate in Fort McMurray?
Fort McMurray’s crime rate was 11,014 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, down 19% from 13,537 in 2024, according to Statistics Canada. That is about 1.97 times the national rate of 5,585 and about 49% above Alberta’s 7,390 (our calculation).
A crime rate is the number of police-reported Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) per 100,000 residents. It counts every incident equally. Dividing the 8,629 incidents by the published rate gives a population of about 78,000 people for the service area (our calculation).
Is Fort McMurray safe compared with other Alberta cities?
Fort McMurray’s 2025 CSI of 107.96 was higher than Calgary, Edmonton and Medicine Hat but lower than Red Deer, Lethbridge and Grande Prairie, among Alberta’s largest municipal police services. It sits about 19% above the provincial CSI of 90.62.
| Police service (2025) | Crime Severity Index 2025 | CSI 2024 | Crime rate per 100,000 (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airdrie (RCMP municipal) | 42.67 | 43.27 | 3,943 |
| St. Albert (RCMP municipal) | 52.27 | 59.71 | 5,156 |
| Calgary Police Service | 62.94 | 64.28 | 5,080 |
| Medicine Hat Police Service | 94.41 | 84.74 | 8,576 |
| Edmonton Police Service | 103.86 | 111.11 | 7,833 |
| Wood Buffalo RCMP municipal (Fort McMurray) | 107.96 | 129.19 | 11,014 |
| Red Deer (RCMP municipal) | 114.36 | 118.35 | 10,592 |
| Lethbridge Police Service | 123.85 | 117.35 | 9,465 |
| Grande Prairie (RCMP municipal) | 143.20 | 143.98 | 14,101 |
| Alberta (all police services) | 90.62 | 97.00 | 7,390 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Tables 35-10-0190-01 and 35-10-0183-01 (2025, released 22 July 2026).
Fort McMurray had the largest CSI drop in this table in 2025. Its CSI is about 4% above Edmonton Police Service and about 72% above Calgary Police Service, but about 25% below Grande Prairie (our calculation). For the other cities, see is Grande Prairie safe, is Medicine Hat safe, Red Deer crime rate and Lethbridge crime rate, or the provincial ranking of the most dangerous cities in Alberta.
Is crime going down in Fort McMurray?
Yes. Fort McMurray’s Crime Severity Index fell 16% in 2025, from 129.19 to 107.96, after reaching 136.24 in 2023, the highest level in the 2015–2025 series. The 2025 value is still about 12% above 2015 (96.46).
| Year | Fort McMurray (Wood Buffalo RCMP municipal) CSI | Alberta CSI |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 96.46 | 104.49 |
| 2016 | 82.12 | 106.00 |
| 2017 | 91.25 | 112.16 |
| 2018 | 101.05 | 113.81 |
| 2019 | 108.08 | 120.34 |
| 2020 | 109.16 | 109.01 |
| 2021 | 101.98 | 101.55 |
| 2022 | 114.81 | 105.18 |
| 2023 | 136.24 | 104.77 |
| 2024 | 129.19 | 97.00 |
| 2025 | 107.96 | 90.62 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0190-01.
Fort McMurray was below the Alberta CSI every year from 2015 to 2019 and above it every year from 2020 to 2025; the gap widened to 31.5 points in 2023 and narrowed to 17.3 points in 2025 (our calculation). Both the violent CSI (117.50 → 104.90, −11%) and the non-violent CSI (134.96 → 110.10, −18%) fell in 2025.
What crimes are most common in Fort McMurray?
Mischief is the most common police-reported crime in Fort McMurray: 3,056 incidents in 2025, a rate of 3,901 per 100,000, compared with 739 nationally. Property crime as a whole made up about 65% of incidents (5,636), and violent crime about 17% (1,492).
| Offence (Fort McMurray, 2025) | Incidents 2025 | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Rate per 100,000 (2024) | Canada rate per 100,000 (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Criminal Code (excl. traffic) | 8,629 | 11,014 | 13,537 | 5,585 |
| Violent crime | 1,492 | 1,904 | 2,081 | 1,443 |
| Assault, level 1 | 521 | 665 | 686 | 528 |
| Uttering threats | 247 | 315 | 388 | 234 |
| Property crime | 5,636 | 7,194 | 9,378 | 3,141 |
| Mischief | 3,056 | 3,901 | 4,803 | 739 |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 1,003 | 1,280 | 1,564 | 502 |
| Fraud | 432 | 551 | 618 | 426 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 200 | 255 | 459 | 201 |
| Theft from a motor vehicle ($5,000 or under) | 200 | 255 | 535 | — |
| Breaking and entering | 184 | 235 | 383 | 262 |
| Drug violations | 244 | 311 | 240 | 144 |
| Robbery | 36 | 46 | 71 | 55 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0183-01 (Fort McMurray = Wood Buffalo RCMP municipal); Canada rates from the 2025 national release. Rates rounded.
Almost every category fell in 2025: theft from vehicles −52%, motor vehicle theft −44%, break-ins −39%, robbery −35% and mischief −19% (rate changes, our calculation). Drug violations were the main exception, up about 30%.
Why is Fort McMurray’s crime rate so high?
Fort McMurray’s high crime rate is driven mostly by high-volume, lower-severity offences, above all mischief and shoplifting, rather than by serious violence. Mischief alone was 35% of incidents in 2025, and shoplifting was about 2.5 times the national rate (our calculation).
That is why the city’s CSI is much closer to the national level than its crime rate. The Crime Severity Index is a Statistics Canada measure that weights each offence by its seriousness (Canada 2006 = 100), so many minor incidents raise the crime rate more than the CSI. Fort McMurray’s CSI is about 9.8 points per 1,000 incidents per 100,000 people, against 13.4 for Canada (our calculation). Read more in our guide to the Crime Severity Index explained.
On the serious offences the picture is closer to average: the break-in rate (235) and robbery rate (46) were below the national rates, and level 2 assault (with a weapon or causing bodily harm) was 200 per 100,000, slightly below Canada’s 214.
How many crimes are solved in Fort McMurray?
The Wood Buffalo RCMP municipal service had a weighted clearance rate of 37.31 in 2025, up from 34.05 in 2024, slightly above Canada’s 36.64 and Alberta’s 34.91. A weighted clearance rate is the share of crimes solved by police, with serious crimes counting more.
How do I check crime near an address in Fort McMurray?
Wood Buffalo RCMP does not publish an interactive crime map; the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo’s RCMP page links to five-year “at-a-glance” crime statistics (PDF) for the municipal and provincial areas. To check a street or neighbourhood:
- Start with the city-wide numbers above and the Alberta crime data to see the bigger picture.
- Open the five-year crime statistics on the RMWB RCMP page for the latest local trend.
- Use our national Canada crime map to compare Fort McMurray with other cities.
- Follow our step-by-step guide on how to check crime in your neighbourhood, including what to look for on a visit.
- Report non-urgent crimes with no suspect through the RCMP online crime reporting service, or call the Fort McMurray detachment complaint line at 780-788-4000.
The Fort McMurray RCMP detachment is at 105 Paquette Drive (administration 780-788-4040, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), according to the RMWB website, checked 26 October 2026. If you are comparing smaller communities, see the safest towns in Alberta.
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Fort McMurray crime FAQ
Is Fort McMurray a safe place to live?
Fort McMurray’s crime is above the Canadian average but falling: its 2025 Crime Severity Index of 107.96 was 16% lower than in 2024, and most of its crime is mischief and theft rather than serious violence.
What is the crime rate in Fort McMurray?
Fort McMurray recorded 11,014 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, down 19% from 2024 and about twice the national rate of 5,585.
Is Fort McMurray safer than Grande Prairie?
Yes, on the official measures. Fort McMurray’s CSI was 107.96 against Grande Prairie’s 143.20 in 2025, and its crime rate was 11,014 against 14,101.
Is Fort McMurray more dangerous than Edmonton?
Slightly, by severity. Fort McMurray’s CSI of 107.96 was about 4% above Edmonton Police Service’s 103.86 in 2025; see is Edmonton safe for the capital’s figures.
How many homicides were there in Fort McMurray in 2025?
Wood Buffalo RCMP’s municipal service area recorded 2 homicides in 2025, up from 1 in 2024. With a population of about 78,000, single cases change the rate sharply.
Related: is Alberta safe? · most dangerous cities in Alberta · safest towns in Alberta · is Grande Prairie safe? · crime rate by province · Calgary vs Edmonton crime. In an emergency call 911.