Police costs: How Canada stacks up
Policing expenditures well above inflation, other public spending
CBC News
Last Updated: Jan. 15, 2013
Crime rates have fallen to their lowest levels since the Trudeau era, but the cost of policing Canada continues to rise. Expenditures have almost doubled since 1985, even when you account for inflation, according to Statistics Canada.
Over the past decade, more officers have been patrolling the streets. But when you factor in population growth, their numbers are a fraction below the peak in the early 1990s and are low compared to other G8 countries. Explore the charts, graphs and maps below to learn more.
Police spending on the rise
Between 2000 and 2010 in Canada:
Government spending, all levels +25%
Spending on police +52%
Policing across Canada
Much like crime rates, police staffing isn't uniform across the country. Bigger cities tend to have more officers per capita - although that isn't always the case.
Hover over the dots and squares on the map below to learn more about police levels and the Crime Severity Index for the country's 30 biggest police forces.
