Scarborough’s overall rate of major crime was about 1,271 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2025, roughly 4% below the City of Toronto average of 1,322, according to our calculation from Toronto Police Service open data. Assaults and break-ins were below the city rate, while car thefts, thefts from vehicles and robberies were above it.
Data: Toronto Police Service, Neighbourhood Crime Rates (updated 2 February 2026) and Major Crime Indicators Open Data (updated 8 October 2026), licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario; Statistics Canada, police-reported crime 2025 (released 22 July 2026). Scarborough totals and rates are our own calculations. Updated 26 October 2026.
In this guide, Scarborough means the 30 City of Toronto neighbourhoods east of Victoria Park Avenue that are policed by Toronto Police Service 41, 42 and 43 Divisions, from Birchcliffe-Cliffside and Kennedy Park to Malvern, West Rouge and West Hill. Together they had 694,245 residents in 2025, about 22% of Toronto’s population.
Key facts
- Scarborough recorded 8,826 major crimes in 2025 (assault, auto theft, break and enter, robbery and theft over $5,000), down 5% from 9,287 in 2024 (our calculation from TPS Neighbourhood Crime Rates).
- That equals about 1,271 per 100,000 residents, about 4% below the City of Toronto’s 1,322 (our calculation).
- Scarborough’s assault rate was about 679 per 100,000 in 2025, 12% below the city average of 768.
- Scarborough’s break-and-enter rate was about 161 per 100,000, 15% below Toronto’s 190.
- Car theft was higher: about 281 per 100,000 in Scarborough against 225 citywide, although Scarborough car thefts fell 20% in 2025.
- Toronto as a whole had a 2025 Crime Severity Index of 59.98 for the Toronto Police Service, below the national 75.0 (Statistics Canada).
Is Scarborough safe compared with the rest of Toronto?
Scarborough is about as safe as Toronto overall, with a combined major-crime rate about 4% below the city average in 2025, our calculation from Toronto Police Service neighbourhood data. It is safer than average on the most common crime, assault, and on break-ins, but it has higher rates of vehicle-related crime and robbery.
| Offence (2025) | Scarborough incidents | Scarborough rate per 100,000 (2025) | City of Toronto rate per 100,000 (2025) | Scarborough vs city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault | 4,711 | 679 | 768 | −12% |
| Auto theft | 1,954 | 281 | 225 | +25% |
| Theft from motor vehicle | 1,818 | 262 | 212 | +24% |
| Break and enter | 1,117 | 161 | 190 | −15% |
| Robbery | 666 | 96 | 78 | +22% |
| Theft over $5,000 | 378 | 54 | 61 | −10% |
| Bicycle theft | 132 | 19 | 66 | −71% |
| Major crime total (5 types) | 8,826 | 1,271 | 1,322 | −4% |
Our calculation from Toronto Police Service, Neighbourhood Crime Rates Open Data (2025), sum of 30 Scarborough neighbourhoods; population 694,245 (Scarborough) and 3,214,722 (city). Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. The major crime total excludes theft from vehicles and bicycle theft.
The pattern fits a part of the city with more houses, driveways and large parking lots: fewer assaults and break-ins per resident than downtown, more thefts of and from cars. Our Toronto car theft by neighbourhood and Toronto break-ins by neighbourhood guides show the same offences for all 158 neighbourhoods.
Is crime in Scarborough going up or down?
Major crime in Scarborough fell about 5% in 2025, from 9,287 incidents in 2024 to 8,826, our calculation from TPS data. Toronto as a whole fell faster, by about 9%, so Scarborough’s share of city crime rose slightly.
- Auto theft: down 20% (2,436 to 1,954), but still about three times the 627 recorded in 2015.
- Break and enter: up 6% (1,055 to 1,117), yet 31% below the 1,625 recorded in 2015.
- Assault: down 3% (4,847 to 4,711).
- Robbery: down 3% (688 to 666).
- Theft from motor vehicles: up 19% (1,526 to 1,818), while it fell 11% citywide.
- Shootings and firearm discharges: down 42% (144 to 83).
The more recent Major Crime Indicators file, updated 8 October 2026, shows the same direction by division: 41 Division recorded 3,084 major crimes in 2025 (down 5%), 42 Division 2,735 (down 6%) and 43 Division 2,776 (down 7%).
Which Scarborough neighbourhoods have the lowest crime?
Steeles had the lowest assault rate in Scarborough in 2025, about 226 per 100,000 residents, followed by Agincourt North (277), West Rouge (278), East L’Amoreaux (289) and Centennial Scarborough (293), according to TPS Neighbourhood Crime Rates. All five are less than half the city average of 768.
| Scarborough neighbourhood | Assault rate per 100,000 (2025) | Break and enter rate per 100,000 (2025) | Population (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steeles | 226 | 179 | 25,699 |
| Agincourt North | 277 | 93 | 29,974 |
| West Rouge | 278 | 75 | 22,634 |
| East L’Amoreaux | 289 | 234 | 23,908 |
| Centennial Scarborough | 293 | 191 | 14,695 |
| Milliken | 334 | 254 | 26,329 |
| L’Amoreaux West | 398 | 162 | 24,118 |
| Guildwood | 399 | 56 | 10,767 |
Source: Toronto Police Service, Neighbourhood Crime Rates Open Data, 2025. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
Twenty of Scarborough’s 30 neighbourhoods had an assault rate below the Toronto average in 2025 (our calculation). For break-ins, Malvern West (44 per 100,000), Guildwood (56) and West Rouge (75) had the lowest rates. Neighbourhoods that contain shopping centres, transit hubs or the Scarborough Town Centre area naturally record more incidents, because offences are counted where they happen, not where victims live. Our list of the safest neighbourhoods in Toronto ranks all 158 areas.
How does Scarborough compare with the wider Toronto area?
Scarborough’s major-crime rate sits close to the Toronto average, and Toronto itself is one of the lower-crime big cities in Canada: the Toronto census metropolitan area (CMA) had a 2025 Crime Severity Index of 55.0 and a crime rate of 3,950 per 100,000, both below the national 75.0 and 5,585, according to Statistics Canada.
The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is a Statistics Canada measure that weights each offence by how serious it is; our CSI explainer shows how it works. Neighbouring police services had these 2025 CSI values: York Region 50.28 (Markham, Richmond Hill), Durham Region 43.18 (Pickering, Ajax, Oshawa) and Toronto Police Service 59.98. See is Markham safe? and the York Region crime map for the area north of Steeles Avenue.
Is Scarborough safe at night?
Most of Scarborough’s 2025 major crime happened in or around homes and outdoors: of 8,595 major-crime reports in 41, 42 and 43 Divisions, 2,446 (28%) were recorded outside, 2,036 (24%) at houses and 1,656 (19%) in apartments, according to the TPS Major Crime Indicators file. Commercial premises accounted for 1,459 (17%) and transit for 196 (2%).
Usual precautions apply: park in lit areas or a garage, keep valuables out of sight, use the TTC’s designated waiting areas at night and share your route with someone you trust. Our is Toronto safe? guide covers city-wide advice.
How to check crime near a Scarborough address
- Find the neighbourhood. Look up the address in the City of Toronto’s 158-neighbourhood map.
- Compare rates, not counts. Use the per-100,000 rates in our Toronto crime rate by neighbourhood guide.
- Check the official TPS map for recent incidents; our Toronto crime map guide explains it.
- Look at several offence types and more than one year, because small neighbourhoods swing from year to year.
- Visit at different times of day, as our guide on choosing a safe neighbourhood to rent suggests.
Want this on your phone?
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Scarborough crime FAQ
What is the crime rate in Scarborough?
About 1,271 major crimes per 100,000 residents in 2025, our calculation from TPS data, about 4% below the City of Toronto average of 1,322.
Is Scarborough more dangerous than downtown Toronto?
Not on the most common crimes: Scarborough’s assault and break-in rates in 2025 were 12% and 15% below the Toronto average. Scarborough has higher rates of car theft and theft from vehicles.
Is crime in Scarborough going down?
Yes. Major crime fell about 5% in 2025, car thefts fell 20% and shootings and firearm discharges fell 42%.
What is the safest neighbourhood in Scarborough?
On assault rates, Steeles (about 226 per 100,000 in 2025), Agincourt North and West Rouge had the lowest in Scarborough. Guildwood and Malvern West had the fewest break-ins per resident.
Which police division covers Scarborough?
Toronto Police Service 41, 42 and 43 Divisions cover Scarborough’s 30 neighbourhoods.
Related: Toronto homicides by year · Toronto crime rate by neighbourhood · Safest neighbourhoods in Toronto · Is Toronto safe? · Crime rate in Ontario by city · Crime rate in Canada by city. In an emergency call 911.