Nanaimo safety concerns loom over election despite falling crime data

Safety and street disorder are shaping debate in Nanaimo ahead of the city’s municipal election on Oct. 17 and B.C.’s provincial vote on Oct. 24. While some residents and candidates say downtown disorder has made people feel unsafe, recent data points to a decline in overall crime in the city. The article notes that Statistics Canada’s crime severity index shows violent and nonviolent crime in Nanaimo have fallen over the past five years. Nanaimo RCMP’s annual performance plan also reports a lower violent crime rate in 2025 than the year before, even as calls about disturbances and mental health incidents increased. Experts quoted in the story say the gap between crime data and public perception is common. A Vancouver Island University criminologist argues that visible substance use, homelessness, and mental health crises can strongly influence how safe people feel, and that longterm solutions should focus on housing, treatment, and supports rather than only tougher enforcement.