By national standards, yes — Oshawa sits in one of the lower-crime regions of Ontario. Durham Regional Police, which polices Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax and the rest of Durham Region, recorded a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 43.2 in 2025, down about 8% from 2024 and about 42% below Canada’s CSI of 75.0. Among the GTA’s police services, only Halton (30.6) was lower. Durham’s figure is also about a quarter below Ontario’s provincial CSI of 57.2.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Crime Severity Index for police services in Ontario. Statistics Canada does not publish separate figures for Oshawa: the numbers here cover the whole Durham Regional Police area, including Oshawa, Whitby and Ajax. Percentages and comparisons not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 5 October 2026.
Which crime figures cover Oshawa?
Oshawa is policed by Durham Regional Police, whose area also includes Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington and the northern townships of Durham Region. Statistics Canada reports a single CSI for the whole service, so:
- There is no official Oshawa-only figure, and the data cannot compare Oshawa with Whitby or Ajax.
- The police-service table gives the Crime Severity Index but not a crime rate per 100,000 people, so we use CSI for Durham.
- Offence-by-offence counts for the Oshawa census metropolitan area are not in the data we use, so this guide does not quote local figures for individual crime types.
Is Oshawa safe compared with other Ontario cities?
Durham’s 2025 CSI of 43.18 is the second-lowest of the five GTA police services, behind Halton, and well below Toronto, Peel and York. Its violent CSI (59.20) is about 39% below the national violent CSI of 97.19, and its non-violent CSI (37.14) is about 44% below the national non-violent figure of 66.78.
| Police service (2025) | CSI | Violent CSI | Non-violent CSI | CSI change vs 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham Regional Police (Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax) | 43.18 | 59.20 | 37.14 | -8% |
| Halton Regional Police | 30.61 | 26.26 | 32.60 | -2% |
| York Regional Police | 50.28 | 63.17 | 45.55 | -6% |
| Peel Regional Police | 59.41 | 76.90 | 52.92 | +4% |
| Toronto Police Service (City of Toronto) | 59.98 | 81.11 | 52.04 | -13% |
| Ottawa Police Service | 52.23 | 62.63 | 48.51 | -7% |
| Ontario (province) | 57.17 | — | — | -6% |
| Canada | 75.01 | 97.19 | 66.78 | -5% |
Durham’s 2025 decline of about 8% was among the larger falls in the GTA, second only to the Toronto Police Service’s.
Is crime in Oshawa going up or down?
Down in 2025, after a slow, steady rise. Durham’s CSI climbed gradually from 40.85 in 2020 to a peak of 47.19 in 2024, rising every year but never sharply. In 2025 it fell back to 43.18 — only about 6% above its 2020 level. That is a much flatter path than York (about +31% since 2020), Halton (about +34%) or Peel (about +56%).
Crime Severity Index, Durham police area and Canada, 2020–2025
| Year | Durham Regional Police CSI | Ontario CSI | Canada CSI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 40.85 | — | 73.92 |
| 2021 | 43.11 | — | 74.87 |
| 2022 | 44.43 | — | 78.74 |
| 2023 | 47.00 | — | 81.27 |
| 2024 | 47.19 | 60.95 | 78.84 |
| 2025 | 43.18 | 57.17 | 75.01 |
Ontario’s year-by-year values for 2020–2023 are not in the data we use, so those cells are left blank.
What kind of crime is most common in the Oshawa area?
Statistics Canada does not publish Durham-only counts by offence in the tables we use, so we will not quote local numbers for individual crime types. What Durham’s index does show is that non-violent crime (CSI 37.14) is relatively low, while violent crime (59.20) is closer to — though still below — the provincial pattern.
Province-wide, Ontario’s figures for 2025 point to the main issues households face:
- Vehicle theft fell about 20%, to 187 per 100,000 Ontarians, slightly below the national rate of 201.
- Break-ins were 189 per 100,000 — the lowest rate of any province.
- Nationally, shoplifting rose for a fifth straight year (+11%), while break-ins and car theft fell.
For practical advice, see how to protect your car from theft and home security tips.
Which parts of Oshawa record more crime?
We have no neighbourhood data and do not rank areas. In Oshawa, as in any city, reported crime generally clusters around downtown, large shopping centres, busy commercial roads and transit hubs — places with the most people passing through. That reflects activity, not the people who live nearby. Durham Regional Police’s own published information is the place for street-level questions.
Is Oshawa safe to live in and walk around at night?
For most residents, yes. Crime severity across Durham Region is well below both the Ontario and Canadian averages and fell in 2025. Usual precautions apply: lock your vehicle and keep keys and fobs away from the front door, keep valuables out of sight, and stick to well-lit, busy routes at night.
Be clear about what the data can and cannot show. These are incidents reported to police, not people, and many incidents are never reported — only about 29% in Statistics Canada’s 2019 victimization survey. The CSI weights serious crime more heavily, so a small number of serious incidents can move it. And because Oshawa shares one figure with the rest of Durham Region, the data cannot tell you how Oshawa compares with Whitby, Ajax or Pickering.
How do I check crime near a specific address in Oshawa?
- Start with Durham Regional Police. The Durham Regional Police website publishes local crime information for Oshawa and the rest of the region.
- Use our map. The Canada Crime Map brings official figures for each area together in one place.
- Compare two areas. Look at the address you are considering next to an area you know, for the same crime types and dates.
- Read the limits. Points are usually generalised, the latest incidents may be missing, and unreported crime does not appear. Our neighbourhood checking guide explains more.
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Oshawa crime FAQ
What is Oshawa’s crime rate?
Statistics Canada does not publish an Oshawa-only figure. Durham Regional Police, which covers Oshawa, had a Crime Severity Index of 43.18 in 2025, down about 8% from 2024.
Is Oshawa safer than Toronto?
On the 2025 index, yes. Durham Region’s CSI (43.18) was about 28% lower than the Toronto Police Service’s (59.98).
Is Oshawa safer than Whitby or Ajax?
The official data cannot separate them, because Oshawa, Whitby and Ajax are all covered by the same Durham Regional Police figures.
Is crime in Durham Region going up?
It rose slowly from 2020 to a peak of 47.19 in 2024, then fell about 8% in 2025 to 43.18.
Which GTA region has the lowest crime severity?
Halton Region (Oakville, Burlington) at 30.61 in 2025, followed by Durham at 43.18. See safest places to live in the GTA.
Related: Safest places in the GTA · Is Toronto safe? · Is Markham safe? · Is Oakville safe? · Safest cities in Ontario. In an emergency call 911.
