Ponoka sees reduction in crime severity index: Stats Can

PONOKA -- Ponoka's crime severity index for 2025 fell from the prior year, but still remains above the provincial average.

This is according to new data from Statistics Canada, which discloses the latest police-related crime stats on a municipal, provincial, and national level. Crime severity index -- or CSI -- is a statistical measure used by the federal agency to track both the volume and seriousness of police-reported crime.

For the Town of Ponoka, the CSI for last year was 135.8, which marks a 21.6 per cent decrease from the score of 173.3 observed in 2024. For 2025, the crime severity index for reported violent incidents was 128.2 -- down from 207.1 in 2024. For the non-violent CSI the decrease was more marginal last year, falling by 13.2 per cent. Despite the positive trend observed from 2024 to last year, the Town of Ponoka's CSI still eclipsed the provincial average of 90.6. 

The crime severity index for the rural county also saw a reduction in 2025 when compared to the year prior. The CSI for last year stood at 58.8 -- which marked a 25 per cent decline from the score of 78.5 observed in 2024. The CSI for violent incidents was mostly unchanged, while the score for non-violent reported incidents dropped more substantially, falling by more than 33 per cent year-over-year.

The highest CSI among Canada's provinces and territories last year was observed in the Northwest Territories (485.9) and Nunavut (461.2). Across the prairies, Saskatchewan had a crime severity index of 146.6, followed by Manitoba at 130.0 and Alberta at 90.6. Surprisingly, Ontario had the lowest CSI in the country in 2025 at 57.2, followed by Quebec at 61.6.

Nationally, Statistics Canada says that a reduction in police-reported breaking and entering incidents had the largest impact on the decline in the CSI in 2025. The rate declined 11 per cent to 264 incidents per 100,000 population, or 109,753 incidents. The rate was down in all provinces and territories. The rate of motor vehicle thefts across the country also fell 16 per cent to 201 incidents per 100,000 population, or 83,652 incidents. It fell at the same rate as in 2024, which was preceded by three annual increases.