Crime has increased dramatically in Toronto since the beginning of 2023 – particularly home invasions and vehicle thefts, and GTA residents are acutely aware of these trends. At a time when public trust in local governments is already on the decline, rising crime presents a serious challenge for regional decision-makers as they strive to address their constituents’ most pressing needs.
To serve their constituents effectively, regional and municipal leaders need to be able to answer three questions:
- What is the current situation?
- How is it affecting residents?
- What action can leaders take to alleviate their concerns?
About Focus GTA
Focus GTA is a syndicated study that adds depth to the statistics by answering the latter two questions. We take cues from the media and other sources to identify the most pressing issues of the moment and delve deeper. In Spring 2024 – following an announcement from Toronto Police that home invasions and vehicle theft rose by 400% in 2023 – we took advantage of our Special Topics section to ask a series of questions about crime and safety. The results are illuminating.
Four in ten GTA residents personally feel that public safety risk has increased in their communities over the past year. Concerned residents in the outer GTA overwhelmingly point to car theft as the most serious safety risk in their area. Within Toronto, violence on public transit outweighs vehicle theft as the primary concern.
Regardless of whether they believe safety risk has increased, more than 70% of GTA residents are somewhat or very concerned about crime in their neighbourhood. To explore sentiments around crime and safety more deeply, we asked two follow-up questions: the first measuring residents’ sense of personal safety in their communities, and the second measuring how well they feel their region is doing at addressing public safety concerns. Together, these two measures shed light on how concern about crime is affecting the lives and perspectives of residents.
We found that overall, 63% of GTA residents feel at least a somewhat strong sense of safety in their community, but only 35% believe their region is doing a good job of managing and addressing public safety concerns. Taken together, our findings suggest that while most residents don’t feel personally threatened by crime at this point, they have the sense that the situation is deteriorating – and they don’t feel institutions are doing enough to reverse the trend and protect residents. It’s also important to note that concern is much higher in certain areas of the GTA – notably Toronto and Peel. Action may be more urgently needed in these regions.
So, how can decision-makers use this data? Focus GTA does not gather crime or arrest statistics; rather, it complements these statistics by tracking public opinion on crime and safety in the GTA. By filling in the gaps on public sentiment about major issues, we equip decision makers with information that can help them understand and address residents’ real and pressing concerns. We take our clients beyond knowing what’s happening (whether it’s rising crime or increased housing costs) to knowing how its making residents feel – and what they want to see from their institutions as a result. Ultimately, these insights allow leaders to make better-informed decisions and promote healthier and happier communities.
Interested in learning more about crime and safety in the GTA? Contact us to learn more and be the first to access our upcoming Fall 2024 report, where we will delve more deeply into how GTA residents want leaders and institutions to promote community safety.
