Recent Surrey RCMP & SPS reports show violent and property crime down slightly, with shoplifting & theft-over-$5,000 rising—what neighbourhoods are most affected?
Overall Crime Patterns Softening
Recent statistics from Surrey’s RCMP and new Surrey Police Service (SPS) show a modest overall decline in violent and property crime when comparing 2024 to 2023. Violent crime is down about 3%, property offences have dropped roughly 1% city-wide.
Pockets of Concern Rising
While many crime categories show improvement, some are increasing. Theft over $5,000 has risen by around 21%, and shoplifting incidents are up nearly 20%. Identity theft and fraud, on the other hand, have decreased substantially—identity theft down about 29%.
Where Incidents Are Concentrated
Not all areas in Surrey reflect the same trends. Whalley, Guildford, and Newton saw fewer violent crimes compared to the previous year. But Cloverdale and South Surrey experienced slight upticks in certain offences.
Timeframes & Recent Shifts
These trends are based on comparing crime data through 2024 against similar periods in 2023. The transition from RCMP to SPS as the city’s policing authority, which began November 29, 2024, also factors into reporting and jurisdictional coverage changes.
Why Some Crimes Rise While Others Fall
Economic pressures, changes in patrol strategies, shifting priorities, and community reporting behaviour all appear to influence the mix. For example, increased shoplifting may be tied to retail sector vulnerabilities, whereas decreases in fraud and mischief might point to better prevention or reporting.
How Police Respond & What’s Next
In reaction, SPS is backing targeted enforcement operations—especially in shoplifting mitigation and theft prevention. The crime mapping tool and quarterly reporting are being used more actively to guide resource allocation. Community concerns—such as safety at night and confidence in police presence—remain key in planning future policing strategies.
This article is original and written specifically for Surreyspeak.com
