North Bay’s crime is somewhat above average: the North Bay Police Service recorded a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 87.94 in 2025, up 7% from 2024 and about 17% above the national 75.0, according to Statistics Canada. The crime rate was 6,653 incidents per 100,000 people, yet severity is 23% below its 2021 peak and police solved more than half of all crime, one of the highest clearance rates in Ontario.
Data: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0188-01 (Crime Severity Index and weighted clearance rates, police services in Ontario) and Table 35-10-0180-01 (incident-based crime statistics, police services in Ontario), 2025 figures released 22 July 2026 and checked 27 October 2026. Figures are for the North Bay Police Service (municipal), which polices the City of North Bay and the Municipality of Callander. Differences and ratios are our own calculation from Statistics Canada data. Updated 27 October 2026.
All figures are for calendar year 2025, the latest full year Statistics Canada has published. North Bay is not one of Canada’s 41 census metropolitan areas (CMAs), so it does not appear in the big-city rankings; the numbers here are for its own municipal police service.
Key facts
- The North Bay Police Service’s Crime Severity Index was 87.94 in 2025, up 7% from 82.16 in 2024 (Statistics Canada, released 22 July 2026).
- That is about 17% above Canada’s CSI of 75.0 and 54% above Ontario’s 57.17 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data).
- North Bay recorded 4,129 Criminal Code incidents in 2025, a rate of 6,653 per 100,000 people, up 4% from 2024.
- Shoplifting was the fastest-growing crime: 846 per 100,000 in 2025, up 20% and about 69% above the national rate of 502.
- Motor vehicle theft was low: 64 per 100,000, about 68% below Canada’s 201.
- Police solved a weighted 51.14% of crime in 2025, well above Ontario’s 39.80% and Canada’s 36.64%.
Is North Bay a safe city?
North Bay has more police-reported crime than the average Canadian community, but less than most other northern Ontario cities: its 2025 Crime Severity Index of 87.94 was 17% above the national 75.0 and well below Sault Ste. Marie (107.26) and Timmins (126.14). About half of all incidents are property crimes such as theft and shoplifting.
The Crime Severity Index is a Statistics Canada measure that weights each police-reported crime by how serious it is, with Canada in 2006 set at 100. The crime rate is the number of Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) per 100,000 people. Our Crime Severity Index explainer shows how the two differ. Both count only crimes reported to police, so they describe the level of reported crime, not the risk on a particular street.
| Area (2025) | Crime Severity Index | Violent CSI | Non-violent CSI | Crime rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Bay Police Service | 87.94 | 129.65 | 72.01 | 6,653 |
| Ontario (province) | 57.17 | 74.91 | 50.56 | 4,296 |
| Canada (all police services) | 75.0 | 97.19 | 66.78 | 5,585 |
North Bay’s gap with the averages is mostly on violent crime severity, which was 33% above Canada and 73% above Ontario; non-violent severity was only 8% above the national level.
How does North Bay compare with other Ontario cities?
North Bay’s 2025 CSI of 87.94 was lower than three other northern and eastern Ontario municipal police services, Timmins (126.14), Sault Ste. Marie (107.26) and Cornwall (97.22), but higher than Sarnia (62.26) and the Ontario average (57.17), according to Statistics Canada Table 35-10-0188-01.
| Municipal police service (Ontario) | CSI 2024 | CSI 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timmins | 115.82 | 126.14 | +9% |
| Sault Ste. Marie | 103.24 | 107.26 | +4% |
| Cornwall | 96.39 | 97.22 | +1% |
| North Bay | 82.16 | 87.94 | +7% |
| Sarnia | 87.58 | 62.26 | −29% |
| Ontario (province) | 60.95 | 57.17 | −6% |
Among the nearest metro areas, the Greater Sudbury CMA had a CSI of 64.9 in 2025 and the Thunder Bay CMA 114.1, so North Bay sits between its two larger northern neighbours. For more context see is Sault Ste. Marie safe, is Sudbury safe, is Thunder Bay safe and our list of the most dangerous cities in Ontario.
What is the crime rate in North Bay?
North Bay’s crime rate was 6,653 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 19% above Canada’s 5,585 and 55% above Ontario’s 4,296. The police service recorded 4,129 incidents, up from 3,952 in 2024.
| Offence (North Bay Police Service) | Incidents 2025 | Rate per 100,000 (2025) | Rate per 100,000 (2024) | Canada rate per 100,000 (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Criminal Code (excl. traffic) | 4,129 | 6,653 | 6,409 | 5,585 |
| Violent crime | 1,200 | 1,934 | 1,896 | 1,443 |
| Property crime | 2,073 | 3,340 | 2,961 | 3,141 |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 525 | 846 | 704 | 502 |
| Breaking and entering | 160 | 258 | 266 | 262 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 40 | 64 | 55 | 201 |
| Homicide | 1 | 1.61 | 1.62 | 1.61 |
Property crime rose 13% in 2025, driven by shoplifting, while break-ins edged down and stayed at about the national level.
Is crime in North Bay going up or down?
Crime severity in North Bay rose 7% in 2025 to 87.94, but it remains 23% below the 2021 peak of 114.60, according to Statistics Canada. Over ten years the trend is upward: the 2025 value is about 39% higher than in 2015 (63.41), when North Bay was below the national average.
| Year | North Bay CSI | Violent CSI | Non-violent CSI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 63.41 | 81.73 | 56.61 |
| 2017 | 75.30 | 92.21 | 69.04 |
| 2019 | 100.63 | 97.69 | 101.45 |
| 2021 | 114.60 | 157.30 | 98.49 |
| 2023 | 92.44 | 122.27 | 81.30 |
| 2024 | 82.16 | 120.22 | 67.65 |
| 2025 | 87.94 | 129.65 | 72.01 |
After three years of decline from 2021 to 2024, both the violent index (+8%) and the non-violent index (+6%) rose in 2025. In a city of North Bay’s size, a handful of serious cases can move the index noticeably from one year to the next, so the multi-year trend is more telling than a single year.
Is violent crime high in North Bay?
North Bay’s violent crime rate was 1,934 incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 34% above Canada’s 1,443 and 79% above Ontario’s 1,078. Violent incidents made up about 29% of all crime in North Bay, compared with about 26% nationally (our calculation from Statistics Canada data).
Homicide is rare: the police service recorded one homicide in both 2024 and 2025, and the 2025 rate of 1.61 per 100,000 matched the national rate exactly. Our homicide ranking explains why small-city homicide rates swing so much.
Are shoplifting, break-ins and car theft a problem in North Bay?
Shoplifting is North Bay’s fastest-growing crime: police recorded 525 shoplifting incidents in 2025, a rate of 846 per 100,000, up 20% from 2024 and about 69% above both the Canadian (502) and Ontario (499) rates. The national picture is similar, as our report on shoplifting in Canada shows.
Break-ins and vehicle theft are less of a concern. North Bay’s break and enter rate of 258 per 100,000 was 2% below the national 262, although 37% above Ontario’s 189. Motor vehicle theft, at 64 per 100,000, was about 68% below Canada’s 201 and 65% below Ontario’s 187. For prevention, see our home security tips.
How do I report a crime or check crime in North Bay?
The North Bay Police Service takes non-emergency calls at 705-472-1234 and accepts eligible reports through an online reporting portal, according to the service’s website (checked 27 October 2026). We did not find a public interactive crime map on the site.
- Call 911 for any emergency or crime in progress.
- Use the online reporting portal on northbaypolice.ca for eligible non-emergency incidents in North Bay or Callander.
- Call 705-472-1234 for non-emergencies that need an officer after a crime has occurred.
- Compare areas with official data on our Canada crime map and read how to check crime in your neighbourhood.
The police headquarters is at 135 Princess Street West. In 2025 police solved a weighted 51.14% of crime, down from 55.01% in 2024 but well above the Ontario (39.80%) and Canadian (36.64%) averages; see how many crimes are solved in Canada.
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North Bay crime FAQ
Is North Bay a safe place to live?
North Bay has somewhat more reported crime than the Canadian average, with a 2025 Crime Severity Index of 87.94 against 75.0 nationally, but its severity is 23% below the 2021 peak and lower than in Sault Ste. Marie or Timmins.
What is the crime rate in North Bay, Ontario?
North Bay recorded 6,653 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, up 4% from 2024 and about 19% above the national rate of 5,585.
Is North Bay safer than Sudbury?
No, on the official severity measure. North Bay’s 2025 CSI was 87.94, about 35% higher than the Greater Sudbury CMA’s 64.9.
Is North Bay safer than Sault Ste. Marie?
Yes. North Bay’s CSI of 87.94 in 2025 was about 18% lower than the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service’s 107.26.
How many homicides were there in North Bay in 2025?
The North Bay Police Service recorded one homicide in 2025, the same as in 2024, a rate of 1.61 per 100,000 people.
Related: Ontario crime map · safest cities in Ontario · safest towns in Ontario · crime rate in Canada by city · Sudbury crime map · is Sault Ste. Marie safe?. In an emergency call 911.