deadmonton - why edmonton? - the ctv edmonton study

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edmonton, alberta – the murder capital of canada

Police Line

In 2005 Edmonton set a record of dubious distinction – 39 murders in a single year – prompting Statistics Canada to pronounce the city "the murder capital of Canada."

In 2006 there were 36 homicides, Edmonton's second-worst year.

This page is part of a series of articles trying to explain the question: Why Edmonton?


In November 2006, CTV Edmonton commissioned a poll to measure Edmontonian's attitudes and feelings toward crime.


CTV Edmonton image

The results were broadcast in a special report over two nights, hosted by Sheldon Larmand, and taking place during a Bureau of Broadcast Measurement ratings period.


The TeleResearch Inc. poll was conducted in the wake of seven murders that took place in October, 2006.


The research firm claimed an accuracy of +/- 3.5%.



CTV Edmonton image

Despite the recent murder rate, most Edmontonians worried about other forms of crime.


CTV Edmonton image

Edmontonians listed their top five crime concerns.


CTV Edmonton image CTV Edmonton image

The perception of crime depended on where respondents lived.
Residents of the generally affluent Ward 5 felt safer than those in the inner-city/northwest Ward 3.


CTV Edmonton image CTV Edmonton image

Police statistics up to April 2006 seem to show the city is safer.


CTV Edmonton image

Citizens said they felt the city was safer than portrayed by the media.


CTV Edmonton image

Those most dissatisfied were young adults responding to events such as the Whyte Avenue Stanley Cup Oilers celebration crackdown in May 2006.


CTV Edmonton image

As far as the impact of new police chief Mike Boyd, most felt it was too soon to say.


CTV Edmonton image

Citizens said police are doing what they can but feel not enough money is devoted to police efforts.



After police first declined a media response, Deputy chief Mike Bradshaw later addressed the issues raised by the CTV-commissioned poll.


CTV Edmonton image

"The fear of crime, the perception of crime actually makes people feel uncomfortable."


Bradshaw said he doesn't believe the perception is actually true.


"To take a look at whether the city is actually safer or not one needs to look at the crime that's ocurring."


"We've seen spikes in different types of crime throughout the recent years."


"Actually in the first three or four months our statistics actually suggest crime is going down."


Bradshaw speculated that Edmonton's high murder rate has made people feel less safe.


The police service was to conduct its own poll early in 2007.