Ottawa wards with the highest and lowest crime rates in 2025

Ottawa Police sign outside headquarters on Elgin St. in Ottawa. (CTV News Ottawa)

Two downtown Ottawa wards had the highest crime rates in Ottawa last year, while 15 wards across the city saw a decrease in the crime rate in 2025.

The Ottawa Police Service has released crime trends by ward reports on its website, showing crime stats for all 24 wards in the city. There were 51,360 crimes reported across Ottawa in 2025, up from 50,610 crimes in 2024. Police reported a one per cent increase in total crimes and a three per cent increase in violent crime in 2025.

The data shows Somerset ward had the highest crime rate in Ottawa at 15,824 crimes per 100,000 people, up 1.5 per cent from 2024. There were 8,015 crimes reported in the ward in 2025, including a 25 per cent increase in thefts over $5,000.

Rideau-Vanier was second with 15,487 crimes per 100,000 people, followed by Beacon-Hill Cyrville, Capital and Rideau-Rockcliffe.

There were 8,693 crimes reported in Rideau-Vanier ward in 2025, which includes the ByWard Market and Sandy Hill. According to the statistics, there was a 34 per cent increase in thefts over $5,000 and an eight per cent increase in assaults.

Gloucester-Southgate saw a 12.5 per cent increase in its crime rate to 5,108 crimes per 100,000 people, while the crime rate increased by 9.2 per cent in Knoxdale-Merivale to 4,153 crimes per 100,000 people.

Seven of the eight wards with the largest drop in the crime rate are located in Ottawa’s suburbs.

The ward of Barrhaven East saw a 15.5 per cent decrease in its crime rate to 1,539 crimes per 100,000 people. The crime rate was down 12 per cent in Kanata North, 11.3 per cent in Orléans South-Navan, 11.2 per cent in Kanata South, 10.8 per cent in Riverside South-Findlay Creek, 9.7 per cent in Stittsville and 8.4 per cent in Orléans East-Cumberland.

River ward saw a nine-per-cent decrease in its crime rate in 2025 to 3,552 crimes per 100,00 people.

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Here is a look at the crime rate in each ward in Ottawa per 100,000 people (2024 in parentheses):

Crime rate increase:

• Somerset: 15,824 (15,589)
• Rideau Vanier: 15,487 (15,269)
• Capital: 6,338 (6,114)
• Rideau-Rockcliffe: 5,573 (5,115)
• Bay: 5,216 (5,006)
• Gloucester-Southgate: 5,108 (4,539)
• Knoxdale-Merivale: 4,153 (3,805)
• Osgoode: 1,793 (1,739)
• Rideau-Jock: 1,771 (1,630)

Crime rate decrease

• Beacon Hill-Cyrville: 6,615 (6,888)
• Kitchissippi: 5,680 (5,862)
• Alta Vista: 4,998 (5,059)  
• College: 4,305 (4,440)
• River: 3,552 (3,921)
• Orléans South-Navan: 2,931 (3,305)
• Barrhaven West: 2,612 (2,692)
• Kanata South: 2,440 (2,746)
• Kanata North: 2,206 (2,509)
• Orléans West-Innes: 1,793 (1,880)
• Orléans East-Cumberland: 1,728 (1,886)
• Stittsville: 1,595 (1,766)
• Barrhaven East: 1,539 (1,821)
• Riverside South-Findlay Creek: 1,488 (1,688)
• West Carleton-March: 1,371 (1,475)