Toronto homicides on pace for 5-year low, but progress ‘fragile,’ advocate warns

Toronto is seeing a sharp 54.3 per cent decline in homicides and violent crimes this year, but police and a community leader warn the progress is fragile.

Toronto is seeing its lowest homicide rates in five years, its data shows, but the figure should not create a sense of complacency, one advocate warns.

Data from Toronto police shows the city has recorded 37 homicides so far in 2025, down from 81 during the same period in 2024, which is a 54.3 per cent decrease.

The force said year-to-date declines across other major crime indicators, including shootings, stabbings, robberies and break-ins, have also been visible.

Shootings are down 53.7 per cent this year, falling to 19 incidents from 42 in 2024, while stabbings have dropped 45.5 per cent, from 22 last year to 12 so far in 2025.

In a statement to Global News, Toronto police said, “while it’s difficult to attribute the progress to one factor, several efforts are clearly contributing.”

Frontline staffing, investment in community officer programs, and strong collaboration with other partners have helped in changing the trends, it said.

“Collaborative work helps us intervene sooner, before a verbal dispute becomes an assault or even a shooting,” the force added.

Marcell Wilson, founder of an anti-violence organization called the One-by-One Movement, has spoken openly about his past involvement in gangs and his transformation into a community leader.