The Hamilton Police Service (HPS) recently released the results of its 2025 Community Safety Survey, which asked residents about their perceptions and experiences with crime across the city.
The survey was funded by HPS and conducted by Wilfrid Laurier University.
It had 1,245 respondents and was conducted between January and April 2025.
Among key findings, the survey suggests that 51 per cent of Hamiltonians believe that their neighbourhood is becoming more dangerous.
A total of 68 per cent are worried about vehicle theft, 56 per cent are worried about vandalism, 55 per cent are worried about home break-ins, 45 per cent are worried about neighbourhood gun violence, and 42 per cent are worried about illegal drugs in their neighbourhood.
In terms of overall safety, 93.7 per cent feel safe to go outside during the day and 76 per cent feel safe to let their children play outside in their neighbourhood.
While police say that overall crime in Hamilton has “decreased in several key categories,” those numbers only account for reported crimes.
The survey found that a large number of those who are victimized do not report crimes to police.
A total of 43 per cent of people say they have had something stolen from their property in the past two years, but, of those, only 26 per cent reported the theft to police.
For those who were victims of violence, only 35 per cent reported the incident to police.
Meanwhile, of those who were victims of break-ins, 59.5 per cent reported the incident.
The report says that various reasons for not reporting crime include that people thought their victimization was not serious enough, that police would not take their report seriously, or that police would not respond promptly, if at all.
The survey also broke down results by area, with the Downtown area indicated as having the lowest perception of safety with concerns related to homelessness, solicitation, and drug use.
Meanwhile, the Flamborough area was indicated as the area with the highest perception of safety.
In response to a question about police visibility, 62.7 per cent said they wanted to see more of a police presence in their neighbourhood, while 37.3 per cent said they did not.
A police press release said that the survey results “confirm that perceptions of safety and crime statistics must be considered together in order to fully understand and respond to community concerns.”
Hamilton Police Chief Frank Bergen added, “These results reinforce what we hear from the community: crime rates matter, but so does how safe people feel.”
“When residents and businesses see officers engaging and responding to issues that affect daily life, their sense of safety improves – even if crime statistics alone don’t tell the whole story.”
HPS will use the findings to guide ongoing development strategies and community engagement initiatives.
They will also use the results to inform the development of their 2027-2030 Strategic Plan.
The full 61-page report can be viewed here.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
