Winnipeg saw nearly 50 per cent drop in homicides in 2025: report

The Winnipeg Police Service headquarters is pictured in Winnipeg, Monday, Feb. 9, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Steve Lambert

Winnipeg saw a significant drop in violent crime, homicides, and robberies last year, according to a new report.

On Tuesday, the Winnipeg Police Service released its 2025 Annual Statistical Report, which offers a look at the city’s crime trends, calls for service and safety initiatives.

According to police, the 2025 report shows “encouraging progress” in several key areas, especially when it comes to homicides, which were down by 48.8 per cent compared to 2024.

When it comes to violent crime, police report a 4.8 per cent drop in 2025. This includes a 4.1 per cent decrease in assaults, a 6.6 per cent reduction in robberies and a 10.2 per cent drop in uttering threats.

Crime severity was down by 8.8 per cent, with violent crime severity down 11.2 per cent. Crime severity is measured by both the volume and seriousness of reported incidents.

“Total crime severity decreased significantly in 2025, driven by one of the largest decreases in violent crime severity in recent history,” said David Bowman, WPS director of organizational development and support.

Violent crimes that increased in 2025 include extortion, criminal harassment, and kidnapping/forcible confinement.

In terms of weapon crimes, Winnipeg saw a nearly 25 per cent drop in incidents involving firearms and a 16 per cent dip in knife crimes compared to 2024. However, bear spray incidents were up by nearly three per cent, rising from 633 in 2024 to 651 in 2025.

As for property crimes, break-and-enters were down by 20.4 per cent in 2025, motor vehicle thefts dropped by 11.5 per cent and possession of stolen property dipped by 24.4 per cent.

Shoplifting was down 4.6 per cent in 2025 after a plan was launched where police patrol specific retail locations.

“We’ve put a lot of attention on retail theft; we continue to put a lot of attention to that,” said Police Chief Gene Bowers.

At the same time, mischief incidents were up by 8.6 per cent, fraud increased by 4.9 per cent, and thefts over $5,000 went up by 16.6 per cent.

Police also report that dispatched events reached a historic high of more than 250,000 dispatches, while emergency events decreased by 10.3 per cent and non-urgent responses were up by 12.5 per cent.

“The continued pressures facing our front-line officers, public safety communicators and partner agencies,” said Bowers.

Crime clearance rates, which refer to the resolution of a reported crime, also improved for the third consecutive year.

The full report is available online.