Comparing internationally is a bit trickier due to differing definitions of crimes, but one crime we can agree about is homicide. Dead bodies can't be classified away. By that measure, the Toronto metro area is safer than all but two of the American metro areas with at least a half million residents. Toronto is more than ten times bigger than either of those, too. There are plenty of Canadian racists saying things like "the violent brown people are stealing all our social services.
For the benefit of the rest of the readers, though, the fact is that the overall violent crime rate of the "visible minority" i. That's part of why Toronto is safer than the "whiter" cities listed above. Does that mean you should avoid white areas of Toronto? No, that would be stupid, because they're awfully safe, too. I've focused on violent crime here since getting shot is a lot scarier to me than getting robbed.
Crime in Toronto. Safety in Toronto
Toronto definitely has less-impressive but still well below average rates of most other kinds of criminal behavior. Again, all the data is there for you to check out from the appropriate authorities if you care to look. Roy Murray on Dec 23, I live near one of the poorest parts of Toronto. My wife and I don't worry about walking through there at any time of day or night. There is a perception given by the media that Toronto crime is on the rise but it's very low. Toronto is one of the safest places in Canada and therefore North America.
Toronto is just a little bigger than Chicago yet so far this year Dec 23, we have had 67 homicides compared to Chicago's over the exact same period. Some people have the perception that crime is worse than it is but the media tends to exaggerate. Crime statistics give the true story. Neil on Dec 07, I was born and raised in Toronto.
I have never considered crime a problem.
If you listen to the media you have a completely inaccurate picture. They report on the worst neighbourhoods in the city where thugs kill each other because they can't think of anything else to do. My wife and I live downtown. There is no issue with guns, assaults, etc at all.
Ultimately you think before you act. If you want to hang out at clubs and bars every night with drunks you will find lots of crime. Otherwise Toronto is a very exciting and liveable city. For those that don't believe me, think about this. Do you really think house price are soaring because crime is out of control or because it is a great place to live?
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Anonymous on Dec 06, Anonymous on Nov 08, People make bad choices but it's usually because of stress and that stress comes from family problems or money problems. Andrew on Aug 28, People need to realize that in a city like Toronto, the crime rate is mostly but not entirely a representation of approximately 6 months. During the winter many people visit their homes more often as it is very cold and as such crimes like home theft decrease.
In the spring, summer and fall residents of the city live more 'normally'. The city from my personal experience is VERY corrupt. Although this applies to other cities around the developed world, in this city it has been accepted by the public and has become the norm. I have read comments about the police below, and if true they are simply a reflection of the society.
People are in much debt and stress. This combination brings out the worst in people. I miss watching people smile. Bob on Aug 03, There is a problem with corruption, Mainly the Police who have their own laws and cover up for each other when something goes wrong. They are also master liers when in court. Jeff on Aug 01, I think it's going to get worse now with more cuts on the way and the drastic increase of homicides and crime rates in Toronto in the last few months. Callie on Jul 09, In literally the last three years there has been a shift in the safety of this city that I can not even type down into words.
It has happened so fast and with little to no explanation but Toronto has transformed into an unsafe city yes it really is where people are thinking twice about going out after dark. Nori on Jun 07, I always thought of Toronto as a safe city even considering how large it is. Usually you would associate this with gang-related activities but it seems that even simple altercations turn into mindless shootings just take a look at the Toronto Police Statistics.
I have never seen crime so high in Toronto until the last couple years. Petra on Apr 03, As at April 2, There were 22 homicides in Toronto Fred on Mar 22, Torontonians justify their residence in Toronto, possibly their residence in Canada, by repeating how integrated it is, how safe it is etc. Well this is simply not true.
White flight from areas such as Scarborough has been going on for years. Jamaicans are largely responsible, although Indians and Pakistan is, Africans and various other migrants are behind much of the crime. Can you imagine going to Jamaica and advertising and politicians supporting the idea of all white schools so the student could do better? Of course, it doesn't really matter, employers and Universities will quickly recognize the value of High School diplomas that were handed out because the student is black, not bright.
Toronto Police Crime Tracker
Single parent families and povery are the bain of the black community. For black, read mostly Jamaicans. David on Mar 12, As a middle class white male, the city works very well for me. I am not afraid at all walking around Toronto day or night. As everywhere else in the world, low income people might experience more crime than someone like me. Also I am sure that many women have a different experience than I do. I find it very encouraging however to see that many women feel safe walking their dogs late at night or even jogging through the parks at night when there aren't many people around.
A lot of the 50 or so murders that do occur each year are related to the street drug trade where gang rivalries result in gun deaths. The majority of the population never experiences this kind of violence although once in awhile a totally innocent person happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Being white, I don't experience racial discrimination but I don't doubt that people of colour in this city have quite a different experience. Dogon on Feb 16, Homocide rate is 2. Compare that to Detroit's 35, Baltimore's 29, Chicago's 14, Boston's 9.
New Orleans with its 65 is in class of its own. I have lived in Toronto for 30 years now and I would never,ever move to the suburbs. I work in the suburbs and I cannot fathom how people can live there without being forced to do so at a gunpoint. I have never been robbed, my home was never broken into.
As a youth I used to live Ina supposed high crime,high drug area and yet nothing ever happened to me. You have to be really stupid to find trouble in Toronto. Allesp on Jan 23, I lived in Toronto for over 20 years, then I moved away to the suburbs. People in Toronto are rude and aggressive. Too many immigrants, old values have been lost.
I would not live in Toronto even if they paid me. Toronto is not a safe city. Women are raped on the streets at dark and in Campus at Universities. Toronto is also a very expensive city, all major cities in Canada are very expensive.
The Community Asset Portal (CAP)
JT on Jan 20, Toronto is on the map and the whole reputation is changing. The 6 is hot right now and the thing right now is to be violent and claim stuff. I mean we got retards trying to claim subway stops. No on Jan 16, Toronto is doing fine. Crime isn;'t high, it isn;t super low, but its fine. Rick on Dec 25, Toronto is a beautiful face with beautiful people of all races and backgrounds. It what makes us inclusive and caring toward one another. It's sad to see the bigoted comments below, but happy to see some of those people have left.
I'm white, my partner is Asian, we have lived downtown and have never had an issue. Visit Toronto but be as careful as you would anywhere else. Jack on Dec 14, WATCH the news family. I'm damn happy I moved my family out of that rat hole 8 years ago. When something happens to your kids.. Scott on Dec 11, Burt is a liar, a communist and a traitor. He lies when he says immigration has improved the economy, instead of massively overburdening social services, transportation, education and the health care system at the expense of taxpayers while creating a dangerously unstable property bubble as it has actually done.
He lies when he claims crime in Toronto was just as high before the non-European immigrants arrived as after. He lies when slanders James for telling the obvious truth about what has happened to Toronto. A narcissistic sociopath with morals and ethics lower than any animal, Burt is an excellent example of everything wrong with Toronto, as it is worthless, lying cretins like him who have played an instrumental role in destroying a once fine city and turning it into the filthy, dangerous cesspit of scum and depravity it is today.
It must really burn Burt up to see that nationalism and patriotism are on the rise from Russia to France to the USA, and that degenerate globalist trash like him are on the wrong side of history and destined to soon receive their just reward for all the evil they have done and continue to do. Gregor Samsa on Dec 07, Honestly, the city overall is not a particularly dangerous place.
Of course there are areas that are a good idea to avoid, especially at night, but even there the likelihood that you will fall victim to a violent crime is fairly low as long as you are cautious. Theft is a bigger problem, particularly bike theft. But honestly, the vast majority of people I know have never been the victim of a random crime. Toronto often looks worse than it is - because the poor areas are often adjacent to the richer areas, and because you will often see people with mental illnesses on the streets and on the TTC.
They're highly visible and can often look intimidating, but they rarely become violent as long as one doesn't antagonise them. Do not go into any co-op complexes or buildings. The people there are drug-addicted criminals. Our neighbour was robbed of three cigarette packets and then the suspect slept with his wife. Most people are mentally insane in some neighbourhoods and will attack you like wolves if you look at them. Burt on Aug 20, James who wrote his racist comment below is a lying idiot.
He's one of these crybaby xenophobes who hates multiculturalism because he is dysfunctional in socially getting along with anyone who does not look like him. He has hatemongering issues that were probably trained into him when he was younger. I lived in Toronto for decades. There was lots of crime before the influx of multi-cultures; bank robberies, murders and unreported rapes assaults that nobody ever knew about - not to mention child molestation.
Immigration has made countries more economically stronger and powerful in global relationships. James the racist below reveals he is a right-wing hatemonger using the internet to try and spread malicious hatred. Bars close at 2 a. There's not many areas with tourist attractions that are unsafe. There are pockets of the city that may not be the most desirable areas to walk in, but they are for the most part out of the way you wouldn't go there anyways.
Wow, with these kind of qualified answers, I'm not sure I would want to visit Toronto again. I think it would be helpful if people who ask these questions could be more specific about what their safety concerns are, and what their experiences are with living in or visiting large urban centres. Nonetheless, given that answers have been given, a little more specificity in those answers would be comforting, I think. OK, I'll be more specific. I'm not talking about muggers or rapists lurking around the corner, anywhere in the city.
Nothing that doesn't happen in any large city. James Town -- is kind of down-and-out. During the day, it can be unpleasant; at night certain corners -- especially those where crack is sold -- can feel threatening. The good news is that there's simply no reason for tourists to go there. Very few of these places are any more unpleasant than Bank St. There are NO areas with tourist attractions that are unsafe, except for Clubland at closing time, when thousands of drunken people pour out onto the streets at the same time. So what if I made sightly vague statements?
Reading these forums has led me to realize that the media overhypes everything, good or bad, and that leads to generalizations about everything on this forum. Yes, there are areas around tourist attractions that have had incidents of crime. Yes, there are areas very close to many attractions that are not the most desirable areas to walk in. Yes there are areas where most would not choose to walk around at night. But is that unlike any other city? I should have stated that you should just use vigilance in Toronto , just like any other major city in the world.
Joepoonie, personally, I tend to avoid answering these vague safety questions about the cities I know, unless the OP is willing to provide suitable context. What are their safety concerns? What are their experiences in large urban surroundings? I think we would give different answers if we knew, for example, that the OP was a farm girl from Herefordshire that had never been in a "city" larger than Leominster than if we knew he was a man born and raised in the East End of London.
In any event, vague answers to vague questions are counter-productive, I think.
Toronto IS safe…stop scaring the tourists! There are three areas to avoid. Scarborough , Regent Park, and Parkdale at night. These are all areas a tourist would probably never end up around anyways. Toronto is basically safe but there are always a few oddballs on the streets and a few drunks in the entertainment district after midnight. Subways and transit are safe but just be aware your surroundings like you would in any big city. All of your saved places can be found here in My Trips. Log in to get trip updates and message other travelers.
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