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Saint John crime severity index jumped but expert says that doesn’t mean city is more unsafe
🇨🇦 Canada /Crime & Justice

Saint John crime severity index jumped but expert says that doesn’t mean city is more unsafe

From Global News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Context piece
  • New Brunswick was the only Canadian province to see its crime severity index rise last year, with Saint John experiencing the largest metropolitan increase.
  • Saint John's crime severity index jumped 20 percent year-over-year, largely driven by an increase in homicides, which rose to seven in 2025 from three in 2024.
  • Experts caution that the numbers don't necessarily indicate increased unsafety, as a small number of serious crimes can significantly skew the index in smaller cities, and Saint John's index remains below the national average.

Saint John, New Brunswick, recorded the most significant increase in its crime severity index (CSI) among Canadian metropolitan areas last year, a trend that saw New Brunswick as the sole province with an overall rise in its CSI. The city experienced a 20 percent year-over-year increase in the index, which measures both the volume and seriousness of reported crimes.

This surge was primarily driven by a notable rise in homicides. Saint John Police investigated seven homicides in 2025, a substantial jump from the three recorded in 2024 and the one or two typically seen in previous years. Staff Sgt. Shawna Fowler, a spokesperson for the Saint John Police, described last year as "historically unusual" and a "statistical outlier" for the city.

Last year was historically unusual for Saint John. So, it represents a statistical outlier for us.

— Staff Sgt. Shawna FowlerDescribing the significant increase in crime statistics for Saint John in the past year.

Despite the concerning statistics, experts urge caution in interpreting the data. Mike Fleming, a sociology and criminology professor at the University of New Brunswick, explained that in smaller cities like Saint John, a relatively small number of very serious crimes can disproportionately affect the CSI. He pointed out that Saint John's CSI climbed to 70, which is still below the national average of 75. For comparison, other cities like Moncton and Fredericton have higher CSI scores. Fleming emphasized that the numbers need careful interpretation and do not automatically equate to communities becoming less safe overall.

So, it represents a statistical outlier for us.

— Mike FlemingExplaining that a small number of serious crimes can significantly affect the CSI in a smaller city.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Global News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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