Survey shows Kitchener residents feel crime is on the rise, police disagree

If you feel like the community has become less safe over the years, you’re not alone in feeling that way.

Recently, results of a new survey show a disconnect exists between Ontarians’ perception of the levels of crime in their community and the actual rate of crime as seen by police.

Liaison Strategies conducted the phone survey over two days in late October, asking respondents if they felt the rates of certain crimes had increased, remained the same or decreased in the last year. Those categories include: homicide, assaults, robberies, break and enters, motor-vehicle thefts, fraud and cybercrime, and hate-motivated crimes.

The survey targeted Ontario’s largest cities: Brampton, Hamilton, London, Markham, Mississauga, Ottawa, Toronto, Vaughan, Windsor and Kitchener.

Around 800 Kitchener residents responded to the survey.

Almost three-quarters (70 per cent) perceived the overall national crime rate as having increased in the last year, with 74 per cent of women and 68 per cent of men feeling that way.

Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) Chief, Mark Crowell, was a guest on The Mike Farwell Show, speaking about the results of the survey. He said, given all the sources of information available, it’s no wonder people get conflicting messages.

“We continue to have a mix of traditional media and the on-the-ground connections that we have. But, we also know people are in their own echo chambers of the algorithms, and they’re seeing videos, and they’re looking at things from across the world, or across North America, or across Canada, and it’s helping to create that perception, whether it’s true or not.”

Crowell said the community’s perception of safety is something WRPS takes very seriously.

“What I’ve learned in my time in this role is, we can have all the data in the world, but if that resident or that family or that neighbourhood doesn’t feel safe, then that’s what we need to get after.”

Crowell did admit that while WRPS has seen a decline in incidents like violent assaults and vehicle thefts, there are a couple of categories that are on the rise.

“The two categories that I would say we are seeing huge increases in are fraud and cybercrime, and hate-crime reporting. And, then some of the weapons offences that we’ve seen creep up over numerous years. This is always a challenge for us because we want to ensure that everyone does feel safe where they are, but one single incident can drive up that perception of insecurity within a family, within a neighbourhood and within a whole region, like ours.”

Traffic Troubles

Data shows there was an increase in road fatalities in Waterloo Region last year.

Staff Sgt. Scott Griffiths with the WRPS Traffic Services Unit says there were 19 fatal crashes resulting in 20 deaths, which is up from 15 fatal collisions and 17 deaths in 2024.

Seven of the people who died in 2025 were pedestrians.

“That’s a number that I’m very concerned about,” said Griffiths.

He noted that many of the pedestrian-related collisions over the last year have occurred at or near intersections, so they will be looking at boosting enforcement in those areas.

Officers have help from a new road safety team, which will be rolling out this year.

WRPS Chief Mark Crowell said police will also be evaluating the absence of automated speed enforcement as the program was banned provincially in November.