Share of crimes solved
26.6% weighted clearance rate
About the same (−4.2%, within ±5%)
Down 4.2% in a year. Up 2.6% since 2019.
Who decides what
Main decision-maker: Government of Canada and Parliament · 3 other bodies Show all
| Body | What it decides | Law or bylaw |
|---|---|---|
| Government of Canada and Parliament | Makes criminal law, including the rules on release before trial (bail) and sentencing. | Criminal Code (Part XVI, release before trial; Part XXIII, sentencing) |
| Province of B.C. | Approves and conducts prosecutions, and sets standards for policing. | Crown Counsel Act, s. 2 Police Act, s. 40 |
| Municipal councils of Greater Victoria (13) | Municipalities of more than 5,000 people must provide policing: their own police department or an RCMP agreement. | Police Act, s. 3 |
| Municipal police boards | Police boards run their municipal police departments and prepare their budgets. | Police Act, s. 26 Police Act, s. 27 |
Councils: last general local election October 17, 2026; next on October 19, 2030, the third Saturday of October set by the Local Government Act, s. 52. Province: last general election October 19, 2024; next set for October 21, 2028 unless called earlier (Constitution Act, s. 23). Canada: last general election April 28, 2025; next set for October 15, 2029 unless called earlier (Canada Elections Act, s. 56.1).
The first row is the main decision-maker. Each row says what a body decides and links to the law, order or bylaw that gives it that role. It does not say who caused a change: markets, households and other governments also move these numbers. Who decides what, for every measure · How we choose
Over time
Weighted clearance rate: Greater Victoria, B.C. and Canada
2025 By year
- Greater Victoria 26.6%
- British Columbia 23.0%
- Canada 36.6%
M municipal election: Oct 15, 2022P provincial election: Oct 24, 2020; Oct 19, 2024F federal election: Sep 20, 2021; Apr 28, 2025
Ticks on the top edge mark general election days for the governments listed under “Who decides what”; the main decision-maker’s are shown first. Results often lag decisions by years. About these ticks
Weighted clearance rate: Greater Victoria, B.C. and Canada
2025 By year
- Greater Victoria 26.6%
- British Columbia 23.0%
- Canada 36.6%
M municipal election: Oct 20, 2018; Oct 15, 2022P provincial election: May 9, 2017; Oct 24, 2020; Oct 19, 2024F federal election: Oct 19, 2015; Oct 21, 2019; Sep 20, 2021; Apr 28, 2025
Ticks on the top edge mark general election days for the governments listed under “Who decides what”; the main decision-maker’s are shown first. Results often lag decisions by years. About these ticks
Weighted clearance rate: Greater Victoria, B.C. and Canada
2025 By year
- Greater Victoria 26.6%
- British Columbia 23.0%
- Canada 36.6%
M municipal election: Nov 19, 2011; Nov 15, 2014; Oct 20, 2018; Oct 15, 2022P provincial election: May 17, 2005; May 12, 2009; May 14, 2013; May 9, 2017; Oct 24, 2020; Oct 19, 2024F federal election: Jan 23, 2006; Oct 14, 2008; May 2, 2011; Oct 19, 2015; Oct 21, 2019; Sep 20, 2021; Apr 28, 2025
Ticks on the top edge mark general election days for the governments listed under “Who decides what”; the main decision-maker’s are shown first. Results often lag decisions by years. Local elections before 2011 are not marked. About these ticks
Weighted clearance rate: Greater Victoria, B.C. and Canada
2025 By year
- Greater Victoria 26.6%
- British Columbia 23.0%
- Canada 36.6%
M municipal election: Nov 19, 2011; Nov 15, 2014; Oct 20, 2018; Oct 15, 2022P provincial election: May 16, 2001; May 17, 2005; May 12, 2009; May 14, 2013; May 9, 2017; Oct 24, 2020; Oct 19, 2024F federal election: Nov 27, 2000; Jun 28, 2004; Jan 23, 2006; Oct 14, 2008; May 2, 2011; Oct 19, 2015; Oct 21, 2019; Sep 20, 2021; Apr 28, 2025
Ticks on the top edge mark general election days for the governments listed under “Who decides what”; the main decision-maker’s are shown first. Results often lag decisions by years. Local elections before 2011 are not marked. About these ticks
More charts (1)
Victoria police service: weighted clearance rate
2025 By year
- All crime 23.4%
- Violent crime 29.1%
- Esquimalt (from 2020) 25.6%
M municipal election: Nov 19, 2011; Nov 15, 2014; Oct 20, 2018; Oct 15, 2022P provincial election: May 17, 2005; May 12, 2009; May 14, 2013; May 9, 2017; Oct 24, 2020; Oct 19, 2024F federal election: Jun 28, 2004; Jan 23, 2006; Oct 14, 2008; May 2, 2011; Oct 19, 2015; Oct 21, 2019; Sep 20, 2021; Apr 28, 2025
Ticks on the top edge mark general election days for the governments listed under “Who decides what”; the main decision-maker’s are shown first. Results often lag decisions by years. Local elections before 2011 are not marked. About these ticks
Show the numbers as a table
| Period | Greater Victoria | British Columbia | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26.6 | 23.0 | 36.6 |
| 2024 | 27.8 | 22.8 | 35.8 |
| 2023 | 22.9 | 21.0 | 34.9 |
| 2022 | 28.1 | 23.7 | 36.0 |
| 2021 | 27.6 | 25.0 | 36.8 |
| 2020 | 25.0 | 25.9 | 37.4 |
| 2019 | 25.9 | 26.0 | 37.0 |
| 2018 | 28.9 | 27.8 | 38.6 |
| 2017 | 32.3 | 29.1 | 39.9 |
| 2016 | 32.3 | 28.3 | 39.5 |
| 2015 | 30.7 | 27.6 | 39.4 |
| 2014 | 36.9 | 28.3 | 40.5 |
| 2013 | 36.1 | 30.4 | 41.0 |
| 2012 | 35.3 | 29.6 | 40.6 |
| 2011 | 39.2 | 30.8 | 40.3 |
| 2010 | 35.6 | 30.0 | 39.6 |
| 2009 | 32.3 | 28.3 | 38.6 |
| 2008 | 27.4 | 26.3 | 37.9 |
| 2007 | 29.5 | 25.0 | 36.5 |
| 2006 | 26.3 | 24.7 | 35.7 |
| 2005 | 27.7 | 23.0 | 34.5 |
| 2004 | 27.6 | 23.1 | 33.6 |
| 2003 | 32.4 | 23.6 | 33.5 |
| 2002 | 34.1 | 25.4 | 34.5 |
| 2001 | 32.7 | 25.7 | 35.0 |
| 2000 | 33.7 | 26.6 | 35.5 |
| 1999 | 34.7 | 28.5 | 35.2 |
| 1998 | 36.8 | 27.9 | 34.1 |
| Period | All crime | Violent crime | Esquimalt (from 2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 23.4 | 29.1 | 25.6 |
| 2024 | 24.1 | 35.5 | 32.6 |
| 2023 | 17.9 | 34.4 | 23.9 |
| 2022 | 20.0 | 36.4 | 17.4 |
| 2021 | 22.4 | 32.8 | 22.1 |
| 2020 | 19.6 | 31.4 | 30.9 |
| 2019 | 22.4 | 40.5 | – |
| 2018 | 28.1 | 45.9 | – |
| 2017 | 31.4 | 46.0 | – |
| 2016 | 31.7 | 47.6 | – |
| 2015 | 27.4 | 35.7 | – |
| 2014 | 36.4 | 50.1 | – |
| 2013 | 37.3 | 46.0 | – |
| 2012 | 38.4 | 55.5 | – |
| 2011 | 40.9 | 59.4 | – |
| 2010 | 36.5 | 53.0 | – |
| 2009 | 33.9 | 43.6 | – |
| 2008 | 28.9 | 43.7 | – |
| 2007 | 30.0 | 45.6 | – |
| 2006 | 28.7 | 48.3 | – |
| 2005 | 28.9 | 47.1 | – |
| 2004 | 29.3 | 42.9 | – |
| 2003 | 35.9 | 54.6 | – |
In plain words
Statistics Canada’s weighted clearance rate for the Victoria metropolitan area: the share of police-reported crimes that police cleared, with serious crimes counting more. B.C., Canada and the Victoria police service are shown as lines.
How we decide “About the same”
The change is 4.2% of the earlier value, below the 5% threshold.
A higher rate means police solved a larger share of reported crime, with serious crimes counting more. 26.58 in 2025 against 27.75 in 2024. B.C.: 23.01. Canada: 36.64.
Outcome measures read Better, Worse or About the same; published government targets read Ahead of, On or Behind target; value-judgement measures read Rising, Falling or Steady in a neutral colour. A change smaller than the agency's own margin of error, or otherwise smaller than 5% of the earlier value, is About the same (or Steady). No change is calculated across a marked break in a series. The rule.
Keep in mind
Why it matters. It shows how often reported crime is solved. It does not count crime that is never reported.
- A crime is cleared when police identify a person they can charge and either lay or recommend a charge, or clear it another way. See Statistics Canada’s table notes for the full definition.
- The rate is weighted: each cleared crime counts by how serious it is, as in the Crime Severity Index.
- Only crime reported to or found by police is counted.
- The Victoria police service line comes from table 35-10-0063-01. From 2020 it covers the City of Victoria only (Esquimalt is counted separately from 2020), so earlier years are marked as not comparable. It starts in 2003, the year the department began policing Esquimalt.
Which places
Area: Greater Victoria (CMA)
The police services that serve Statistics Canada’s Victoria metropolitan area.
Included
- Crime reported to the police services that serve the Victoria metropolitan area (municipal police and RCMP detachments)
- The metropolitan area covers: Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Langford, Colwood, Highlands, Metchosin, Sooke, Central Saanich, North Saanich, Sidney, part of the Juan de Fuca electoral area and eight First Nations reserves
Not included
- Salt Spring Island
- Southern Gulf Islands (Galiano, Mayne, Pender and Saturna islands)
- Port Renfrew area (Juan de Fuca electoral area, part 2)
- Police boundaries do not match municipal boundaries exactly, so Statistics Canada matches police services to the area as closely as it can
Official definition
Shown for comparison
- Comparison area: All of B.C. The whole province of British Columbia.
- Comparison area: All of Canada Canada as a whole, shown only for comparison.
How the agency describes it: Victoria census metropolitan area (police-reporting boundaries).
How we got it
This number is published by the agency as shown; it is not calculated here. The script reads it from the agency’s own file.
Licence and credits
Published under an open licence: anyone may reuse it with credit. About licences.
- Updated by agency
- Annually (published in July); latest release Jul 22, 2026
- Retrieved
- Nov 11, 2026, 8:18 PM B.C. time
Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 35-10-0026-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
Inputs and results
Inputs are money, staff or decisions; results are what services delivered. One does not prove the other moved. Kinds of measure
What goes into this
Spot a mistake?
Email [email protected]. Fixes are listed in the corrections log.