The Peterborough Police Service Community Safety Map shows the last 365 days of police calls for 11 crime types in the City of Peterborough, Lakefield and Cavan-Monaghan, plotted to the nearest intersection. For the bigger picture, the Peterborough census metropolitan area (CMA) had a Crime Severity Index of 57.3 in 2025, about 24% below Canada’s 75.0, according to Statistics Canada.
Data: Peterborough Police Service, Community Safety Map page and launch release (19 August 2025), checked 21 October 2026; Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Tables 35-10-0026-01 and 35-10-0177-01, Peterborough CMA. Percentages and comparisons not in those sources are our own calculation. Updated 21 October 2026.
Key facts
- The Peterborough Police Service launched its Community Safety Map on 19 August 2025; it shows 365 days of data counted back from the day you view it.
- The Peterborough CMA’s Crime Severity Index was 57.3 in 2025, down 6% from 61.1 in 2024 and almost exactly Ontario’s 57.2 (Statistics Canada).
- Peterborough’s crime rate was 5,385 incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, 4% below Canada (5,585) but 25% above Ontario (4,296), our calculation from Statistics Canada data.
- Shoplifting was 881 incidents per 100,000 in 2025, about 76% above both the national (502) and Ontario (499) rates.
- Violent crime was 911 per 100,000 in 2025, about 37% below Canada’s 1,443.
- Police in the Peterborough CMA solved more crime than average: a weighted clearance rate of 48.93 in 2025, against 36.64 for Canada and 39.80 for Ontario.
What is the Peterborough crime map?
The Peterborough crime map is the Peterborough Police Service’s Community Safety Map, an interactive online map of calls for service that the service says is meant to improve awareness of police activity and encourage crime prevention. It covers the three municipalities the service polices: the City of Peterborough, the Village of Lakefield and the Township of Cavan-Monaghan.
Each icon on the map is one incident with its date, time and municipality. If a theft from a motor vehicle was part of the incident, it appears as a “secondary occurrence type”. You can open the map from the Community Safety Map page of the Peterborough Police Service, which also links to a short how-to video.
| Peterborough Community Safety Map | Details (checked 21 October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Who runs it | Peterborough Police Service |
| Launched | 19 August 2025 |
| Area | City of Peterborough, Lakefield, Cavan-Monaghan |
| Time window | Last 365 days from the day you view it |
| Crime types (11) | Assault; break and enter (business/residence); drug offences; fraud; impaired/over 80; mischief; robbery; shoplifting; stolen vehicle; theft; weapons |
| Location detail | Moved to the closest intersection or street segment; approximate |
| Official statistics? | No; the service points to its annual reports for official figures |
Because the map is a record of calls for service, it shows police activity, not a ranking of streets or neighbourhoods.
How do I use the Peterborough crime map?
Using the Peterborough crime map takes a few minutes: open the map, zoom to the street you care about and read the icons for the last year.
- Open the map from the Peterborough Police Service Community Safety Map page (the map runs on ArcGIS and works best on a larger screen).
- Zoom to the area you are checking, such as a street you plan to rent on or the route to a school.
- Click an icon to see the crime type, date, time and municipality.
- Look for patterns over time, not single icons. A cluster of thefts from vehicles in one month tells you more than one assault call.
- Compare with a place you know, using the same crime types and the same 365-day window.
- Report or send a tip. From an incident on the map you can click through to the online reporting portal or to Crime Stoppers.
Our general guide on how to check crime in your neighbourhood explains the same method for other Canadian cities.
What are the limits of the Peterborough crime map?
The Peterborough crime map has three main limits, all stated by the Peterborough Police Service: locations are approximate, busy places show more incidents, and the data is not official crime statistics.
- Approximate locations. To protect privacy, each point is moved to the nearest intersection or street segment, and the service says any attempt to work out a specific address is strictly prohibited.
- Busy areas show more icons. Shopping areas, entertainment venues, schools, parks, main roads and densely populated neighbourhoods may have more reported incidents, which the service says “does not necessarily mean” a disproportionate amount of crime there.
- Snapshot, not statistics. Crime types can change during an investigation, and the service cautions against using the call data to draw conclusions about the safety of an area.
- Only 11 offence types. Many incidents, including sexual offences, criminal harassment and uttering threats, are not on the list.
- Only three municipalities. Other parts of the Peterborough area are policed by other services and do not appear on the map.
For year-to-year comparisons, use Statistics Canada figures (below) or the service’s annual reports.
How much crime does Peterborough have?
The Peterborough CMA recorded 7,910 Criminal Code incidents (excluding traffic) in 2025, a crime rate of 5,385 per 100,000 people, according to Statistics Canada. Its Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 57.3 was about 24% below Canada’s 75.0 and level with Ontario’s 57.2.
The Crime Severity Index is Statistics Canada’s measure that weights each offence by how serious it is, so a robbery counts far more than a shoplifting incident. The crime rate simply counts incidents per 100,000 people. Peterborough’s crime rate is close to the national average while its CSI is well below it, because a large share of its incidents are lower-severity offences such as shoplifting. Our Crime Severity Index explainer covers the method.
| Area (2025) | Crime Severity Index | Violent CSI | Non-violent CSI | Crime rate per 100,000 | Weighted clearance rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peterborough (CMA) | 57.3 | 65.2 | 54.7 | 5,385 | 48.9 |
| Ontario | 57.2 | 74.9 | 50.6 | 4,296 | 39.8 |
| Canada | 75.0 | 97.2 | 66.8 | 5,585 | 36.6 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Tables 35-10-0026-01 and 35-10-0177-01 (released 22 July 2026).
Peterborough had the 7th-lowest CSI of Ontario’s 15 CMAs in 2025, between Windsor (55.4) and Guelph (57.8), but the second-highest crime rate in the province after Thunder Bay (our ranking from Statistics Canada data). See the full safest cities in Ontario ranking and the Ontario crime map for every metro area.
Which crimes are most common in Peterborough?
Property crime is the most common type of crime in Peterborough: 4,144 of the 7,910 incidents in the Peterborough CMA in 2025 (about 52%, our calculation) were property crimes, and shoplifting alone made up about 16% of all incidents, compared with 9% nationally.
| Offence | Peterborough incidents 2025 | Peterborough rate per 100,000 (2025) | Peterborough rate per 100,000 (2024) | Ontario rate per 100,000 (2025) | Canada rate per 100,000 (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Criminal Code offences (excl. traffic) | 7,910 | 5,385 | 5,353 | 4,296 | 5,585 |
| Violent crime | 1,338 | 911 | 956 | 1,078 | 1,443 |
| Property crime | 4,144 | 2,821 | 3,129 | 2,600 | 3,141 |
| Shoplifting ($5,000 or under) | 1,294 | 881 | 930 | 499 | 502 |
| Fraud | 660 | 449 | 480 | 434 | 426 |
| Mischief | 472 | 321 | 403 | 329 | 739 |
| Assault, level 1 | 459 | 313 | 332 | 399 | 528 |
| Theft from a motor vehicle ($5,000 or under) | 444 | 302 | 366 | 211 | 271 |
| Breaking and entering | 277 | 189 | 234 | 189 | 262 |
| Drug violations | 222 | 151 | 152 | 91 | 144 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 158 | 108 | 89 | 187 | 201 |
| Criminal harassment | 152 | 103 | 93 | 81 | 86 |
| Robbery | 48 | 33 | 43 | 47 | 55 |
Rates are incidents per 100,000 people, Peterborough census metropolitan area. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0177-01 (released 22 July 2026).
- Shoplifting is the standout. At 881 per 100,000, the Peterborough CMA’s shoplifting rate was about 76% above Ontario and Canada, even after a 5% fall from 2024 (our calculation). See shoplifting in Canada.
- Thefts from vehicles are high but falling. The rate of 302 per 100,000 was about 43% above Ontario, down about 17% from 2024.
- Break-ins fell. Breaking and entering dropped about 19% to 189 per 100,000, the same as Ontario and about 28% below Canada.
- Car theft is low but rose. Motor vehicle theft rose about 21% to 108 per 100,000, still about 46% below the national 201. See car theft in Canada.
- Violent crime is below average. At 911 per 100,000, violent crime was about 37% below Canada and 15% below Ontario; the violent CSI fell about 14%, from 75.55 to 65.16.
The Peterborough CMA recorded 4 homicide victims in 2025 (2 in 2024), a rate of 2.72 per 100,000. With numbers this small, one or two cases change the rate sharply; our homicide rates by city page puts this in context.
Is crime in Peterborough going up or down?
Crime severity in Peterborough went down in 2025: the Peterborough CMA’s CSI fell 6%, from 61.1 to 57.3, according to Statistics Canada. The crime rate was almost flat (+1%), because fewer break-ins, thefts from vehicles and mischief incidents were partly offset by more car thefts and criminal harassment.
| Year | Peterborough CSI | Ontario CSI | Canada CSI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 55.3 | 51.1 | 70.4 |
| 2018 | 49.0 | n/a | 75.6 |
| 2021 | 63.1 | n/a | 74.9 |
| 2023 | 60.8 | n/a | 81.3 |
| 2024 | 61.1 | 61.0 | 78.8 |
| 2025 | 57.3 | 57.2 | 75.0 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01. n/a = not in our data set for that year.
Peterborough’s CSI has stayed below the national value in every year from 2015 to 2025. The 2025 value is about 9% below the 2021 high of 63.1 but about 4% above 2015 (our calculation).
Is Peterborough safe?
Peterborough is safe by national standards: its 2025 Crime Severity Index of 57.3 and violent crime rate of 911 per 100,000 were both well below Canada’s averages, and police in the area cleared a larger share of crime than the national or Ontario average. The most likely problems for residents are property offences: shoplifting in retail areas and thefts from parked cars. For a full answer, read our guide is Peterborough safe?, and compare nearby cities with is Belleville safe?, is Kingston safe? and the Barrie crime map.
How do I report a crime in Peterborough?
Non-emergency crimes in Peterborough can be reported online through the Peterborough Police Service online reporting portal, which needs a valid email address and must be filed by the victim, owner or an authorized representative.
- Emergency or crime in progress: call 911.
- Online report: use the non-emergency crime reporting page; if more investigation is needed, police may contact you by email. Filing a false report is a criminal offence.
- In person or by phone: the Alternate Response Unit is an officer in the lobby of the police station at 500 Water Street, reachable at 705-876-1122 ext. 274. The service notes these channels are not monitored 24/7.
- Main line: 705-876-1122 (toll-free 1-888-876-1122).
Want this on your phone?
Safety App Canada puts official crime data on a live map, plans walking routes that avoid high-risk areas and sends one-tap SOS alerts to the people you trust. Coming soon to Android and iPhone.
Peterborough crime map FAQ
Does Peterborough have a crime map?
Yes. The Peterborough Police Service has run an online Community Safety Map since 19 August 2025, showing 365 days of calls for 11 crime types in Peterborough, Lakefield and Cavan-Monaghan.
How far back does the Peterborough crime map go?
The Peterborough crime map shows 365 days of data counted back from the day you view it. For older years, use the police service’s annual reports or Statistics Canada.
What is the crime rate in Peterborough, Ontario?
The Peterborough CMA recorded 5,385 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 people in 2025, about 4% below Canada’s 5,585 and 25% above Ontario’s 4,296.
Is crime in Peterborough going down?
Crime severity is going down: the Peterborough CMA’s Crime Severity Index fell 6% in 2025, to 57.3, while the crime rate was almost unchanged (+1%).
Why does Peterborough have a lot of shoplifting?
Statistics Canada does not give reasons, but the Peterborough CMA’s shoplifting rate of 881 per 100,000 in 2025 was about 76% above Ontario’s. Shoplifting counts also depend on how often stores report to police.
Related: is Peterborough safe? · Ontario crime map · most dangerous cities in Ontario · crime rate in Canada by city · Guelph crime map · how many crimes are solved in Canada · Canada Crime Map. In an emergency call 911.