Conservatives attack liberal crime policies despite declining crime rates in Canada during 2025

The Canadian Conservative Party blamed the Liberal governments for what it described as the deterioration of public safety and the rise in violent crimes over the past decade, calling for tightening bail laws and reversing criminal amendments enacted by the federal government.

The party's position came following the release of the latest police-reported crime data for 2025, which showed an increase in the total number of reported violent crime incidents from about 597,000 incidents in 2024 to more than 601,000 incidents in 2025.

Shadow Justice Minister Arban Khanna and Shadow Public Safety Minister Frank Caputo said the total number of violent incidents rose by about 57% compared to 2015, considering this increase as a result of the criminal policies followed by the Liberal governments.

However, the official data presents a more mixed picture, as the raw number of incidents rose by a limited percentage during the past year, at a time when Canada's population grew, while the rate of violent crimes calculated per population decreased.

In 2025, about 1,443 violent incidents were recorded per 100,000 people, compared to 1,448 incidents in the previous year, meaning the population rate slightly declined despite the increase in the total number of incidents.

Decrease in the Violent Crime Severity Index

The data showed that the violent crime severity index decreased by 4.2% during 2025, while the overall crime severity index declined by about 4.9%, marking its second consecutive annual decrease.

The rate of police-reported crimes, excluding traffic violations, also dropped by 2.4% to 5,585 incidents per 100,000 people.

The crime severity index differs from the total number of incidents because it takes into account the number of crimes and their severity, giving greater weight to crimes usually associated with harsher penalties.

These indicators mean that the number of some types of crimes may remain high or increase, while the average severity of crimes or their occurrence rate relative to the population decreases.

Homicides also recorded a clear decline during 2025, after the police reported 672 homicides, a decrease of 125 crimes from the previous year.

The homicide rate dropped by 16% to 1.61 crimes per 100,000 people, the lowest level recorded in the country since 2014.

Conservatives Attack Bill C-16

The Conservative statement focused much of its criticism on Bill C-16, known as the "Victims Protection Act," which became law in June 2026.

Khanna and Caputo said the law gave judges what they described as a "get out of jail" card by allowing them to depart from most mandatory minimum sentences, including for serious crimes.

However, the law does not allow for the complete elimination of prison sentences in cases subject to mandatory minimum penalties.

It allows a judge to impose a prison term less than the mandatory minimum in rare cases when applying that minimum to the specific accused would result in a grossly disproportionate sentence and violate the constitutional protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

Prison sentences remain required, and the authority to depart from the minimum does not apply to first-degree murder and high treason.

The government says the amendment aims to protect mandatory minimum sentences from complete constitutional invalidation after courts struck down several of them due to the possibility of producing unconstitutional rulings in some cases.

In contrast, the Conservatives believe that granting judges this power weakens the strength of mandatory sentences and reduces their deterrent effect, especially in violent crimes and weapons offenses.

Ongoing Dispute Over Bail

The Conservatives also renewed their criticism of Bills C-5 and C-75, asserting that the amendments made to the sentencing and bail system made it easier to release accused persons back onto the streets.

The party calls for the abolition or restriction of the "restraint principle" in release decisions, which directs courts and police to prioritize release at the earliest opportunity and with the least necessary conditions, taking into account the circumstances of Indigenous accused and vulnerable groups.

The Conservatives say this principle does not provide sufficient protection for the public in cases involving violent or repeat offenders.

Supporters of the principle argue that it does not mandate release of the accused nor prevent detention when there are public safety risks or a likelihood of reoffending, but aims to avoid unnecessary pre-trial detention.

The Conservatives had introduced a bill called "Jail Not Bail" to tighten release rules for accused persons of violent and repeat crimes, but it did not receive approval from the House of Commons.

"Billy's Law" Becomes Effective

The Conservatives also highlighted Bill C-225, known as "Billy's Law," introduced by Caputo and enacted into law in June 2026.

The law strengthens the criminal response to intimate partner violence, including considering killing a partner as first-degree murder when it occurs within a pattern of coercive control or controlling behavior.

It also created a specific offense related to the use or threat of violence against an intimate partner and tightened some rules concerning detainees and repeat accused in domestic violence cases.

The Conservatives said the law's enactment represents a model of reforms they want to expand to protect victims and hold repeat offenders accountable.

Long-Term Increases Despite 2025 Improvements

Despite improvements in national indicators during 2025, some crime categories remain much higher than they were a decade ago.

The extortion rate dropped by 10% during the past year but remained more than three times its 2015 level.

Shoplifting also rose by 11% during 2025, continuing the increase for the fifth consecutive year, and became 79% higher compared to 2015.

In contrast, break-in crimes decreased by 11%, car theft dropped by 16%, and gang-related homicides and gun use in murders declined.

These trends show that the political debate about crime cannot be reduced to a single number, as the outcome varies depending on whether the comparison is based on the total number of incidents, the rate per population, crime severity, crime type, or the chosen time period.

The Conservatives maintain that the trend since 2015 justifies tougher sentences and bail restrictions, while 2025 data indicate annual improvements in most key national indicators, with ongoing clear problems in crimes such as extortion, shoplifting, and some forms of violence.

The total violent incidents rose by about 0.6% in 2025, but their rate per population slightly decreased, and their severity index declined by 4.2%. Bills C-16 and C-225 became effective after receiving royal assent on June 18 and 17, 2026, respectively.