New Westminster is about as safe as the Vancouver metro area as a whole: the New Westminster Police Department area had a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 83.90 in 2025, roughly 12% above Canada’s 75.0 but 9% below British Columbia’s 92.4, according to Statistics Canada. Its crime rate of 6,019 incidents per 100,000 people fell about 5% from 2024, and the city recorded no homicides in either year.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Table 35-10-0063-01 (Crime Severity Index and weighted clearance rates, police services in British Columbia) and Table 35-10-0184-01 (incidents and rates by violation, police services in British Columbia), checked on 31 October 2026. Figures are for the City of New Westminster, served by the New Westminster Police Department. Percentage changes, ratios and the population estimate are our own calculation from Statistics Canada data. Updated 31 October 2026.
Key facts
- New Westminster had a Crime Severity Index of 83.90 in 2025, almost unchanged from 83.58 in 2024 (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0063-01).
- That is about 12% above Canada’s CSI of 75.0, 9% below B.C.’s 92.4 and level with the Vancouver census metropolitan area’s 83.5 (our calculation).
- New Westminster recorded 5,545 Criminal Code incidents in 2025, a rate of 6,019 per 100,000 people, down from 6,325 in 2024.
- Motor vehicle theft in New Westminster fell 25%, from 143 to 107 vehicles, a rate of 116 per 100,000, about 42% below the national 201.
- Shoplifting rose about 8% to 794 incidents in 2025, a rate of 862 per 100,000, about 72% above the national 502 (our calculation).
- New Westminster’s weighted clearance rate was 20.7 in 2025, below B.C.’s 23.0 and Canada’s 36.6 (Statistics Canada).
Is New Westminster safer than Vancouver and Burnaby?
New Westminster is slightly safer than the City of Vancouver but less safe than Burnaby on the official measure: its 2025 Crime Severity Index of 83.90 was about 6% below the Vancouver Police Department’s 89.28 and about 22% above Burnaby RCMP’s 68.70, according to Statistics Canada (our calculation). New Westminster sits between Burnaby, Coquitlam and Surrey on the Fraser River and is part of the Vancouver census metropolitan area (CMA).
The Crime Severity Index is a Statistics Canada measure that weights each police-reported offence by its seriousness, with Canada in 2006 set at 100. A census metropolitan area (CMA) is a whole metro region, so the Vancouver CMA figure of 83.5 mixes busy cores with quieter suburbs. Our Crime Severity Index explainer covers the method.
| Police area (Metro Vancouver) | Crime Severity Index (2025) |
|---|---|
| Port Moody (municipal police) | 43.29 |
| Port Coquitlam (RCMP municipal) | 50.83 |
| Coquitlam (RCMP municipal) | 57.12 |
| Delta (municipal police) | 59.20 |
| Burnaby (RCMP municipal) | 68.70 |
| Vancouver CMA (whole metro area) | 83.51 |
| New Westminster (municipal police) | 83.90 |
| City of Vancouver (Vancouver Police Department) | 89.28 |
| Richmond (RCMP municipal) | 151.82 |
| British Columbia | 92.37 |
| Canada | 75.01 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0063-01 (police services in British Columbia, checked 31 October 2026) and Table 35-10-0026-01 for the Vancouver CMA and Canada. Surrey is not listed because its 2025 figures are split between the RCMP and the new Surrey Police Service.
New Westminster sits near the middle of B.C.: in our ranking of 60 police areas with about 10,000 residents or more, the median index is about 83, right next to New Westminster’s 83.90. See safest towns in BC, safest cities in BC and most dangerous cities in BC, and compare neighbours in is Burnaby safe?, is Coquitlam safe? and is Vancouver safe?
What is the crime rate in New Westminster?
The crime rate in New Westminster was 6,019 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 8% above Canada’s 5,585, about 13% below B.C.’s 6,943 and about 6% above the Vancouver CMA’s 5,672 (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0184-01; comparisons are our calculation). The rate fell about 5% from 6,325 in 2024.
| Offence | New Westminster incidents (2025) | New Westminster rate per 100,000 (2025) | New Westminster rate (2024) | B.C. rate (2025) | Canada rate (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Criminal Code offences (excl. traffic) | 5,545 | 6,019 | 6,325 | 6,943 | 5,585 |
| Violent crime | 1,484 | 1,611 | 1,596 | 1,531 | 1,443 |
| Property crime | 3,089 | 3,353 | 3,466 | 3,839 | 3,141 |
| Breaking and entering | 254 | 276 | 281 | 280 | 262 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 107 | 116 | 156 | 138 | 201 |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 794 | 862 | 801 | 733 | 502 |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.81 | 1.61 |
Rates are per 100,000 population. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0184-01 (New Westminster municipal police service and British Columbia) and Table 35-10-0177-01 for Canada.
The crime rate is the number of police-reported Criminal Code incidents, excluding traffic offences, per 100,000 residents. Statistics Canada’s counts imply a population of about 92,000 for New Westminster in 2025 (our calculation: incidents divided by rate). For the 41 metro areas, see crime rate in Canada by city.
What kind of crime is most common in New Westminster?
Property crime is the most common type of crime in New Westminster: 3,089 of the 5,545 incidents recorded in 2025 (about 56%) were property offences, and 1,484 (about 27%) were violent offences (Statistics Canada; our calculation).
- Shoplifting: 794 incidents, about 14% of all crime in the city. The rate of 862 per 100,000 is about 18% above B.C.’s 733 and 72% above the national 502. See shoplifting in Canada.
- Violent crime: 1,611 incidents per 100,000, about 1% higher than in 2024 and about 12% above the national 1,443. Most violent incidents in Canada are lower-level assaults and threats; see violent crime in Canada by city.
- Break-ins: 254 incidents, 276 per 100,000, close to B.C.’s 280 and about 5% above the national 262. See break-ins in Canada.
- Vehicle theft: 107 vehicles, down from 143. The rate of 116 per 100,000 is below both B.C. (138) and Canada (201). See car theft in Canada.
- Homicide: no homicides were recorded in New Westminster in 2024 or 2025.
Is crime in New Westminster going up or down?
Crime severity in New Westminster was flat in 2025 after a sharp fall in 2024: the Crime Severity Index was 83.90, compared with 83.58 in 2024 and a 2023 peak of 96.19, which puts 2025 about 13% below that peak and about 8% below the 2015 value of 91.30 (Statistics Canada; our calculation).
| Year | New Westminster CSI | Violent CSI | Non-violent CSI | Weighted clearance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 91.30 | 90.93 | 91.24 | 28.52 |
| 2017 | 70.99 | 55.53 | 76.38 | 25.38 |
| 2019 | 91.84 | 83.42 | 94.65 | 25.97 |
| 2020 | 82.98 | 80.52 | 83.67 | 25.49 |
| 2021 | 93.01 | 103.44 | 89.62 | 26.36 |
| 2022 | 87.24 | 90.30 | 86.75 | 23.75 |
| 2023 | 96.19 | 104.66 | 93.62 | 21.40 |
| 2024 | 83.58 | 84.88 | 83.77 | 22.55 |
| 2025 | 83.90 | 94.38 | 80.42 | 20.67 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0063-01, New Westminster municipal police service.
Two indexes moved in opposite directions in 2025. New Westminster’s violent index rose about 11% to 94.38, still about 3% below Canada’s 97.2, while the non-violent index fell about 4% to 80.42, about 20% above the national 66.8 (our calculation). The weighted clearance rate is the severity-weighted share of incidents solved by police; New Westminster’s slipped to 20.67 from 22.55. More in how many crimes are solved in Canada.
Is there a New Westminster crime map?
We did not find a public crime map on the New Westminster Police Department website when we checked on 31 October 2026; the department publishes yearly crime statistics through its police board reports instead. These steps are the most reliable way to check an area:
- Start with the official numbers. Compare New Westminster with other places on our Canada crime map and in crime rate by province.
- Use the neighbouring maps for border areas. Our Burnaby crime map and Vancouver crime map guides explain what those police services publish.
- Ask locally. The New Westminster Police Department non-emergency line is 604-525-5411.
- Follow our step-by-step guide on how to check crime in your neighbourhood.
Is New Westminster safe to live in and visit?
New Westminster is safe for most residents and visitors by Metro Vancouver standards: its 2025 Crime Severity Index of 83.90 matched the Vancouver metro area, it recorded no homicides in 2024 or 2025, and its vehicle-theft rate was well below the national average. The more common risks are shoplifting and other thefts around shopping areas and transit stations. Keep valuables out of sight, lock bikes and cars, and see our public transit safety tips and home security tips. For the whole province, see is BC safe? Statistics Canada notes that the CSI is not a complete safety score and that only about 29% of victimizations in Canada were reported to police in 2019.
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New Westminster crime FAQ
Is New Westminster, BC dangerous?
No. New Westminster’s 2025 Crime Severity Index was 83.90, about 12% above the national 75.0 but 9% below B.C.’s 92.4 and level with the Vancouver metro area, according to Statistics Canada.
What is the crime rate in New Westminster?
New Westminster recorded 6,019 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, down about 5% from 6,325 in 2024 and about 13% below B.C.’s rate of 6,943.
Is New Westminster safer than Burnaby?
No, on the official figures. In 2025 New Westminster’s Crime Severity Index was 83.90 and Burnaby RCMP’s was 68.70, about 18% lower.
How many homicides were there in New Westminster in 2025?
New Westminster recorded no homicides in 2025 and none in 2024, according to Statistics Canada.
Does New Westminster have a crime map?
We did not find a public crime map on the New Westminster Police website on 31 October 2026. Statistics Canada’s police-service tables are the best official source for city-wide figures.
Related: is Burnaby safe? · Burnaby crime map · is Surrey safe? · safest towns in BC · is Richmond, BC safe? · how to report a crime in Canada. In an emergency call 911.