Windsor, Ontario is safer than the Canadian average, and in 2025 it recorded one of the largest improvements of any metro area in the country. Its Crime Severity Index (CSI) fell 12% to 55.4, well below the national 75.0, and its police-reported crime rate dropped 10% to 4,203 incidents per 100,000 people. Only Saguenay (-13%) fell further; Regina matched Windsor’s 12% drop.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Crime Severity Index and incident-based crime tables. Figures are for the Windsor census metropolitan area (CMA) unless stated; Windsor Police Service figures cover its municipal jurisdiction only. Comparisons and percentages that are not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 5 October 2026.
Is Windsor safe compared with other Canadian cities?
Yes. Windsor’s CSI of 55.4 placed it among the ten lowest of Canada’s 41 metro areas in 2025, about 26% below the national figure (our arithmetic). It sits almost level with Toronto (55.0) and Hamilton (54.8), and well below nearby London (66.0).
The Windsor CMA recorded 20,548 police-reported Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) in 2025, a rate of 4,203 per 100,000. That is about a quarter below the Canadian rate of 5,585 and close to the Ontario rate of 4,296.
| Area (2025) | Crime Severity Index | CSI change vs 2024 | Crime rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsor CMA | 55.4 | -12% | 4,203 |
| London CMA | 66.0 | +8% | 5,059 |
| Hamilton CMA | 54.8 | -7% | 4,076 |
| Toronto CMA | 55.0 | -7% | 3,950 |
| St. Catharines–Niagara CMA | 53.8 | -9% | 4,139 |
| Ontario | 57.2 | -6% | 4,296 |
| Canada | 75.0 | -5% | 5,585 |
Is crime in Windsor going up or down?
Down, and by a lot over the longer term. Windsor’s CSI peaked at 85.90 in 2018. By 2025 it had fallen to 55.39, its lowest point in at least ten years and about 36% below that peak (our arithmetic). It is also about 10% below its 2015 level of 61.79, while Canada’s index is higher than it was in 2015.
| Year | Windsor CMA CSI | Canada CSI |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 61.79 | 70.39 |
| 2016 | 66.18 | 72.01 |
| 2017 | 70.09 | 73.60 |
| 2018 | 85.90 | 75.60 |
| 2019 | 81.11 | 79.72 |
| 2020 | 68.94 | 73.92 |
| 2021 | 68.57 | 74.87 |
| 2022 | 61.72 | 78.74 |
| 2023 | 63.97 | 81.27 |
| 2024 | 62.88 | 78.84 |
| 2025 | 55.39 | 75.01 |
The 2025 fall was broad. The violent CSI dropped from 76.40 to 70.78 (about -7%) and the non-violent CSI from 58.00 to 49.71 (about -14%), by our arithmetic.
What drove the 12% drop?
Property crime did most of the work. Comparing rates per 100,000 people in 2025 with 2024:
- Break-ins fell from 330 to 238 (about -28%), with 1,164 incidents in 2025.
- Vehicle theft fell from 190 to 138 (about -27%), with 675 vehicles reported stolen.
- Shoplifting fell from 554 to 416 (about -25%), unusual at a time when shoplifting rose 11% nationally.
Statistics Canada’s release does not explain why individual cities changed, so we do not speculate on causes. Break-ins and car theft also fell across Canada in 2025, but Windsor’s declines were steeper than the national ones (-11% and -16%).
What does the Windsor Police figure show?
The Windsor Police Service jurisdiction covers the city itself rather than the whole metro area. Its CSI was 71.52 in 2025, down from 79.83 in 2024 (about -10%) and from 94.65 in 2021. Its violent CSI was 93.51 and non-violent CSI 63.33.
The city figure is higher than the CMA figure of 55.4 because the city core holds most of the region’s shops, bars, workplaces and visitors, while the surrounding towns and rural areas in the CMA tend to record less crime. Both measures point the same way: down.
What kinds of crime are most common in Windsor?
Property crime makes up most of what police record. Against national rates in 2025:
- Violent crime: 952 per 100,000 (4,654 incidents), about a third below Canada’s 1,443.
- Homicide: 7 victims, a rate of 1.43, slightly below the national 1.61.
- Robbery: 42 per 100,000, below Canada’s 55.
- Break-ins: 238 per 100,000, below Canada’s 262.
- Vehicle theft: 138 per 100,000, below Canada’s 201.
- Shoplifting: 416 per 100,000, below Canada’s 502.
Windsor is a smaller metro, so a handful of incidents can move rates noticeably. Seven homicides, for example, is a small number, and the rate can swing from year to year without any real change in risk.
Which parts of Windsor record more crime?
We have no official neighbourhood statistics, and we do not rank Windsor’s neighbourhoods. The general pattern in Canadian cities is that reported incidents gather where people gather: downtown, nightlife areas, major shopping streets and malls, and transit stops. More incidents in those places mostly reflect more people and more reporting, not more danger to residents.
Is Windsor safe to live in or visit?
By national standards, yes. Its CSI, crime rate and violent crime rate are all well below the Canadian averages, and the 2025 figures were the best Windsor has recorded in the decade shown here. Normal precautions are enough for most people: lock your car, keep valuables out of sight, and plan a well-lit route home at night.
Keep in mind that police data only captures reported crime. In Statistics Canada’s 2019 victimization survey, only about 29% of victimizations were reported to police.
How do I check crime near a specific address in Windsor?
- Check the Windsor Police Service. Visit the Windsor Police Service’s website for any public crime map, statistics or open data it publishes.
- Use our map. The Canada Crime Map brings official figures together by city.
- Compare two areas. Look at the street you are considering alongside another part of Windsor you know, over the same period and crime types.
- Read the limits. Maps show reported incidents, often placed at the nearest block or intersection. They describe events, not the people who live there.
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Windsor crime FAQ
What is the crime rate in Windsor, Ontario?
In 2025 the Windsor CMA recorded 4,203 police-reported Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) per 100,000 people, down 10% from 2024 and about 25% below the national rate of 5,585.
Is Windsor one of the safest cities in Canada?
It is among the ten metro areas with the lowest Crime Severity Index. Its 2025 CSI of 55.4 was just above Toronto and Québec (both 55.0) and below Trois-Rivières (56.0).
Did crime go down in Windsor in 2025?
Yes. The CMA’s CSI fell 12%, matching Regina and second only to Saguenay (-13%) among Canada’s 41 metro areas. The Windsor Police Service CSI fell from 79.83 to 71.52.
Is Windsor safer than London, Ontario?
On 2025 figures, yes. Windsor’s CSI was 55.4 against London’s 66.0, and its crime rate was 4,203 against London’s 5,059.
Is car theft a problem in Windsor?
Less than in many cities. Windsor’s 2025 vehicle-theft rate was 138 per 100,000, down from 190 in 2024 and below the Canadian rate of 201.
Related: Safest cities in Ontario · Safest cities in Canada · Is London, Ontario safe? · Car theft in Canada · Break-ins in Canada. Official source: Statistics Canada, The Daily. In an emergency call 911.