Victoria indicators

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Police officers vs authorized strength

Area: Victoria + Esquimalt (police area) 2025 (yearly snapshot) · Where this covers

253 officers

Getting worse

Gap of 7 positions in 2025 (was 4 in 2023). 207.1 officers per 100,000 residents

Source: Statistics Canada, 2025 · Full source

What it measures

The number of police officers working in the Victoria police service on the survey date, compared with the number of positions authorized in its budget.

Why it matters

A gap between authorized and actual officers can affect response and workload. The status follows the gap, not the number of officers.

Over time

Police officers and authorized positions

  • Authorized positions: 260 officers (2025)
  • Officers working: 253 officers (2025)
Line chart of 2 lines, 13 periods from 2011 to 2025. Authorized positions: starts at 243 officers (2011), ends at 260 officers (2025); highest 260 officers (2025), lowest 243 officers (2011). Officers working: starts at 243 officers (2011), ends at 253 officers (2025); highest 253 officers (2025), lowest 227 officers (2021). Every value is in the table.220240260201120142017202120252011: Authorized positions: 243 officers; Officers working: 243 officers2012: Authorized positions: 243 officers; Officers working: 243 officers2013: Authorized positions: 243 officers; Officers working: 243 officers2014: Authorized positions: 243 officers; Officers working: 243 officers2015: Authorized positions: 243 officers; Officers working: 243 officers2016: Authorized positions: 243 officers; Officers working: 243 officers2017: Authorized positions: 245 officers; Officers working: 244 officers2018: Authorized positions: 245 officers; Officers working: 239 officers2019: Authorized positions: 249 officers; Officers working: 238 officers2021: Authorized positions: 249 officers; Officers working: 227 officers2022: Authorized positions: 249 officers; Officers working: 234 officers2023: Authorized positions: 255 officers; Officers working: 251 officers2025: Authorized positions: 260 officers; Officers working: 253 officers

The scale starts at 220 (not zero), so the changes look larger than they would on a scale from zero. Tap, hover or drag along the chart to see each value.

How we decided “getting worse”

This page judges only the gap between authorized positions and officers actually working: a smaller gap counts as better. It takes no position on how many officers there should be. 253 officers against 260 authorized positions in 2025, a gap of 7. In 2023: 251 of 255 (gap 4). The status compares the gap, not the number of officers. Officers per 100,000 residents: 207.1 in 2025, 245.6 in 2011. Population served: 122,158. The rules.

Source

Period
2025 (yearly snapshot)
Updated by agency
Annually; latest release Aug 5, 2026
Retrieved
Nov 11, 2026, 1:10 AM B.C. time

Adapted from Statistics Canada, table 35-10-0077-01. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

Show the numbers as a table
Police officers and authorized positions (newest first)
PeriodAuthorized positionsOfficers working
2025260253
2023255251
2022249234
2021249227
2019249238
2018245239
2017245244
2016243243
2015243243
2014243243
2013243243
2012243243
2011243243

Keep in mind

  • Officers and authorized strength are a yearly snapshot reported by the police service to Statistics Canada. Officers on leave may still be counted.
  • Authorized strength is set through the police budget, approved by the police board and the two municipal councils (with a provincial process for disputes).
  • The service polices both the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt.
  • Statistics Canada has not published values for 2020, 2024, so those years are missing from the chart.

Where this covers

Area: Victoria + Esquimalt (police area)

The area served by the Victoria Police Department: the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt together.

Included

  • City of Victoria
  • Township of Esquimalt (policed by the Victoria Police Department under a framework agreement)

Not included

  • Saanich, Oak Bay, Central Saanich and the West Shore, which have their own police services or RCMP detachments
  • Statistics Canada does not publish a City-only crime index

Official definition

How the agency describes it: Victoria municipal police service area (City of Victoria and Township of Esquimalt).

Connected to: Police board and municipal councils (budget), Police services (municipal). This is a label, not a judgement.

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