Cornwall, Ontario has above-average crime: the Cornwall Police Service recorded a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 97.22 in 2025, about 30% above the national 75.0 and nearly unchanged from 2024, according to Statistics Canada. Its crime rate of 10,021 incidents per 100,000 people was 1.8 times Canada’s, but violent crime severity fell 12% and overall severity is 19% below the 2023 peak.
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 Cornwall Police Service (municipal) in Cornwall, Ontario, not Cornwall in England or Cornwall, PEI. 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. Cornwall 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 Cornwall Police Service’s Crime Severity Index was 97.22 in 2025, up 1% from 96.39 in 2024 (Statistics Canada, released 22 July 2026).
- That is about 30% above Canada’s CSI of 75.0 and 70% above Ontario’s 57.17 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data).
- Cornwall recorded 5,446 Criminal Code incidents in 2025, a rate of 10,021 per 100,000 people, up 9% from 2024.
- Cornwall’s violent crime severity index fell 12% in 2025, from 121.97 to 107.26.
- Shoplifting reached 1,111 per 100,000, about 2.2 times the Canadian rate of 502.
- Cornwall recorded no homicides in 2024 or 2025.
Is Cornwall, Ontario a safe city?
Cornwall, Ontario has more police-reported crime than the average Canadian community: its 2025 Crime Severity Index of 97.22 was 30% above the national 75.0 and 70% above Ontario’s 57.17. Most of the gap comes from high volumes of lower-severity offences, such as shoplifting and the “other Criminal Code” category explained below, rather than serious violence; the city recorded no homicides in 2024 or 2025.
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 why a city can have a very high crime rate but a more moderate CSI. Both measures count only crimes reported to police.
| Area (2025) | Crime Severity Index | Violent CSI | Non-violent CSI | Crime rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall Police Service | 97.22 | 107.26 | 94.03 | 10,021 |
| Ontario (province) | 57.17 | 74.91 | 50.56 | 4,296 |
| Canada (all police services) | 75.0 | 97.19 | 66.78 | 5,585 |
Cornwall’s violent severity was only 10% above the national level in 2025, while its non-violent severity was 41% above Canada’s.
How does Cornwall compare with other Ontario cities?
Cornwall’s 2025 CSI of 97.22 was lower than Timmins (126.14) and Sault Ste. Marie (107.26) but higher than North Bay (87.94), 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% |
Compared with the nearest metro areas in eastern Ontario, Cornwall’s CSI was about 1.9 times the Ottawa CMA’s 50.6 and 58% higher than the Kingston CMA’s 61.5 in 2025 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data). See is Ottawa safe, is Kingston safe, is North Bay safe and our ranking of the most dangerous cities in Ontario.
What is the crime rate in Cornwall, Ontario?
Cornwall’s crime rate was 10,021 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 79% above Canada’s 5,585 and 2.3 times Ontario’s 4,296. The police service recorded 5,446 incidents, up 11% from 4,918 in 2024.
| Offence (Cornwall 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) | 5,446 | 10,021 | 9,228 | 5,585 |
| Violent crime | 1,263 | 2,324 | 2,436 | 1,443 |
| Property crime | 2,284 | 4,203 | 3,871 | 3,141 |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 604 | 1,111 | 1,028 | 502 |
| Breaking and entering | 177 | 326 | 289 | 262 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 97 | 178 | 263 | 201 |
| Homicide | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.61 |
Violent and property crime together account for only about 65% of Cornwall’s incidents. The remaining 35% are “other Criminal Code violations”, a Statistics Canada category that includes offences such as failing to comply with court orders and breaches of probation. Cornwall’s rate for this category was about 3,494 per 100,000, roughly 3.5 times the national 1,001 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data), which is a large part of why its overall crime rate is so high.
Is crime in Cornwall going up or down?
Crime severity in Cornwall was almost flat in 2025 at 97.22 (+1%), after a 20% drop in 2024, and it is 19% below the 2023 peak of 119.97, according to Statistics Canada. Over ten years the trend is upward: the 2025 value is about 27% higher than in 2015 (76.29).
| Year | Cornwall CSI | Violent CSI | Non-violent CSI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 76.29 | 93.46 | 69.88 |
| 2017 | 91.29 | 134.26 | 75.62 |
| 2019 | 101.56 | 123.41 | 93.46 |
| 2021 | 110.24 | 133.63 | 101.82 |
| 2023 | 119.97 | 149.92 | 109.02 |
| 2024 | 96.39 | 121.97 | 86.98 |
| 2025 | 97.22 | 107.26 | 94.03 |
The two parts of the index moved in opposite directions in 2025: violent severity fell 12% to its lowest level since 2016, while non-violent severity rose 8%. In a city of Cornwall’s size, a few serious cases can move the index from year to year, so the multi-year trend is more reliable than one annual change.
Is violent crime high in Cornwall?
Cornwall’s violent crime rate was 2,324 incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 61% above Canada’s 1,443 and 2.2 times Ontario’s 1,078, although it fell 5% from 2024. Because the most serious violent offences are rare, the violent severity index (107.26) was only 10% above the national 97.19.
Cornwall recorded no homicides in 2024 or 2025. Violent incidents made up about 23% of all crime in Cornwall, compared with about 26% nationally (our calculation from Statistics Canada data). Our violent crime by city ranking compares the large metro areas.
Are shoplifting, break-ins and car theft a problem in Cornwall?
Shoplifting is Cornwall’s most distinctive property crime: police recorded 604 shoplifting incidents in 2025, a rate of 1,111 per 100,000, up 8% from 2024 and about 2.2 times both the Canadian (502) and Ontario (499) rates. Our report on shoplifting in Canada explains the national rise.
Break-ins rose 13% to 326 per 100,000, about 24% above Canada’s 262 and 73% above Ontario’s 189. Motor vehicle theft went the other way: it fell 32% to 178 per 100,000, about 11% below the national 201 and 4% below Ontario’s 187. For prevention, see our home security tips.
How do I report a crime or check crime in Cornwall?
The Cornwall Police Service takes non-emergency calls at 613-933-5000 and accepts eligible reports through its online citizen reporting system, 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 system on cornwallpolice.ca for eligible non-emergency incidents.
- Call 613-933-5000 for other non-emergency matters or to speak to an officer.
- Compare areas with official data on our Canada crime map and read how to report a crime in Canada.
The police headquarters is at 340 Pitt Street. In 2025 police solved a weighted 47.31% of crime, down from 52.63% in 2024 but above the Ontario (39.80%) and Canadian (36.64%) averages; see how many crimes are solved in Canada.
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Cornwall crime FAQ
Is Cornwall, Ontario a safe place to live?
Cornwall has more reported crime than the Canadian average, with a 2025 Crime Severity Index of 97.22 against 75.0 nationally, but violent crime severity fell 12% in 2025 and the city recorded no homicides in 2024 or 2025.
What is the crime rate in Cornwall, Ontario?
Cornwall recorded 10,021 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, up 9% from 2024 and about 1.8 times the national rate of 5,585.
Is Cornwall safer than Ottawa?
No, on the official severity measure. Cornwall’s 2025 CSI was 97.22, about 1.9 times the Ottawa CMA’s 50.6.
Is Cornwall safer than North Bay?
No. Cornwall’s CSI of 97.22 in 2025 was about 11% higher than the North Bay Police Service’s 87.94.
How many homicides were there in Cornwall in 2025?
The Cornwall Police Service recorded no homicides in 2025 and none in 2024, according to Statistics Canada.
Related: Ontario crime map · safest cities in Ontario · safest towns in Ontario · crime rate in Canada by city · is Belleville safe? · Ottawa crime map. In an emergency call 911.