Being and feeling safe and included

Our goal: A safe city in which residents feel secure

BELONGING

Vancouverites who feel a strong or somewhat strong sense of belonging

Feeling safe and a sense of inclusion in our communities is essential to our well-being.

A strong sense of belonging is associated with better self-reported physical and mental health, while social exclusion denies us the opportunity for full economic and social participation in society.

Our targets: Increase residents’ sense of belonging and safety by 10%, and make Vancouver the safest major city in Canada

Progress we've made so far

Crime

Belonging

Safety

Crime rate chart

Sense of belonging chart

Safety chart

Read our success stories

How we measure change

We use a number of data sources to monitor trends in the health of the city. We monitor progress toward Being and Feeling Safe and Included using data from public health surveys and reported crime statistics.
Sense of belonging
- 54% of adults have a strong or somewhat strong sense of community belonging
  Source: My Health My Community Survey, 2014
Sense of safety
- 65% of adults agreed or strongly agreed that they felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhood at night
  Source: My Health My Community Survey, 2014
Reported crime rates
- As of 2017, Vancouver’s violent crime rate was 7.6 per 1,000 population
- As of 2016, Vancouver ranked 8th among the 10 largest municipal police forces in Canada for lowest violent crime rate
- In the same year, the property crime rate was 60.5 per 1,000 population
  Source: Vancouver Police Department, Crime Statistics
- In the same year, Vancouver ranked 10th among the 10 largest municipal police forces for lowest property crime rate
  Source: Incident-based crime statistics (Statistics Canada)
2015-2018 Priority actions

Steps toward achieving this goal in the first four years of the Healthy City Strategy.
1. Offer opportunities to improve competencies to work effectively with First Nations and Urban Indigenous communities.
  - Results: We will develop greater understanding and capacity to respond in a positive and proactive manner when working with First Nations and Urban Indigenous people, working toward reconciliation and healing from the negative impacts and stereotypes that resulted from Canada’s residential school system
2. Develop and deliver broad-based training to enhance capacity when addressing conditions, particularly trauma, that create vulnerability (including for example gendered violence, newcomer settlement, sex work, mental health & addictions, and dementia).
  - Results: We will develop greater understanding and capacity to respond in a positive and proactive manner when working with newcomers, people engaging in sex work, suffering from mental health & addictions challenges, dementia and people faced with gender based violence.

Initiatives helping us reach these goals and targets

Building community

The health and vitality of our communities is one of the reasons Vancouver is considered one of the best places on earth to live.

Health and safety for sex workers

Vancouver is the first city in North America with an action plan to improve the health and safety of sex workers and the communities where they live and work.

Indigenous communities

Learn about our Indigenous programs and services, and our role in increasing cross-cultural understanding.

Seniors

Our programs and facilities help keep seniors active, engaged, and connected to health and care services.

Official celebrations and observances

We recognize the valuable contributions of Vancouver's diverse communities is through special celebrations of International Women's Day, Black History Month, Vancouver Pride, Diwali, and others.