Regardless of a decline within the severity of police-reported crime, many Kelowna, B.C., residents and enterprise house owners say they aren’t satisfied the town is changing into safer.
Newly launched information from Statistics Canada’s annual Crime Severity Index present the amount and seriousness of police-reported crime within the Kelowna census metropolitan space fell 4.5 per cent in 2025.
The decline moved Kelowna to ninth amongst Canada’s 41 census metropolitan areas, down from fifth the earlier 12 months.
“I feel it’s taking place, hopefully,” stated Kelowna resident Sweet Van Hees. “We are able to solely hope. Kelowna is a superb place, so let’s simply hold optimistic.”
The Crime Severity Index measures each the amount and seriousness of police-reported crime.
Even with the development within the rankings, considerations about public security stay widespread.
“It’s not down. I feel it’s up,” stated Alfreda Joseph. “There’s lots of crime that goes on round right here.”
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One other resident instructed the statistics could not mirror the complete image.
“I personally assume individuals simply aren’t reporting it anymore,” stated Sharon Kenney. “The place I dwell, which is off Springfield, there’s lots of crime.”
That sentiment is echoed by some native enterprise house owners.
David Lea, proprietor of Toshido Blended Martial Arts in Rutland, agrees.
“I feel it’s the type of rhetoric that individuals are getting fairly bored with listening to,” Lea stated. “We hold being instructed that crime is down, however we’re simply not seeing it within the streets.”
Lea stated his enterprise frequently offers with social dysfunction and crime, together with deliberately-set fires, drug use and threats towards employees.
He stated he now not stories each incident to police.
“If I reported each crime that occurs round my enterprise, I’d be on the cellphone with the RCMP each single day,” Lea stated. “This isn’t an exaggeration.”
He believes many enterprise house owners have reached the identical conclusion.
“I speak to lots of my fellow enterprise individuals and other people simply really feel, ‘What’s the level?’ Why get on the cellphone? Why get on-line when nothing’s going to be finished about it?” he stated.
In an e mail to International Information, Kelowna RCMP acknowledged the numbers don’t mirror the entire story with regards to legal exercise.
“Though Kelowna has seen an enchancment in comparison with final 12 months, the Kelowna RCMP acknowledges that the Crime Severity Index is just one measure and doesn’t inform the entire story,” stated Cpl. Steven Lang.
“Perceptions of group security stay vital and have been recognized as a key concern within the Metropolis of Kelowna Citizen Survey.”
Lang added that public security stays a prime precedence.
“When reviewing the information, you will need to acknowledge that the CSI captures solely Legal Code offences and doesn’t account for requires service associated to public dysfunction,” Lang stated.
“Police proceed to work carefully with group companions to handle the problems that matter most to Kelowna residents.”
© 2026 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
