Last updated: May 7, 2026 · Source: Hamilton Police Service ward reports, 2025 year-end data
Hamilton Police logged 1,279 break-and-enters in 2025. That's roughly one break-in every seven hours, every day, all year. But the numbers aren't even close to evenly spread. The lower-city east end took over 250. A west-mountain ward got 25. Same city, very different reality.
We pulled the December 2025 ward reports straight from Hamilton Police and ranked all 15 wards by break-ins. Here's what's actually happening, where the worst trends are showing up, and what you can do about home security whether you're a homeowner or run a business in Hamilton.
Hamilton break-and-enters in 2025
1,279
One every 7 hours. And that's just the reported ones.
In This Report
- The Big Picture: Hamilton 2025 in Numbers
- 1,279 Break-Ins. Here's What the Numbers Actually Mean.
- The 10 Hamilton Wards Hit Hardest by Break-Ins in 2025
- A Clear Pattern: Lower-City East and Downtown Carry the Burden
- What You Can Actually Do About It
- Auto Theft Tells a Different Story Than Break-Ins
- 38 Years Protecting Hamilton Homes and Businesses
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Big Picture: Hamilton 2025 in Numbers
Hamilton Police publishes monthly ward reports with 5-year trend lines. Here's what 2025 looked like.
Property crime is up. Across all 15 wards, you're looking at roughly 17,500 reported incidents. That's above the 5-year average almost everywhere. 911 calls hit a record 501,318 city-wide. Up from 458,473 in 2024.
Violent crime is up too. Almost every ward is above its 5-year average. Downtown (Ward 2) led the city with 1,548 violent incidents. Ward 3 was right behind at 1,412.
And the real number's higher than this. Hamilton's 2025 Community Safety Survey found about 40% of break-in victims don't even bother calling police. So the 1,279 number is the floor, not the ceiling. We dug into that survey separately in our post on the 2025 community safety survey.
1,279 Break-Ins. Here's What That Actually Means.
1,279 break-ins works out to 3.5 a day, every single day. And that's just the ones people called in. Tack on the 40% unreported rate and you're closer to 2,100 actual break-ins across the city last year.
It's not spread evenly either. The top 3 wards (3, 2, 4) accounted for 539 break-ins between them. That's 42% of the city total. In about 20% of the population. The lower-city east end and downtown are doing way more than their share of the heavy lifting.
But don't get comfortable if you live somewhere else. Even Ward 14, the safest ward this year, had 25 break-ins. That's still one every two weeks in a single ward. Nowhere in Hamilton is untouched.
Where this data comes from: Hamilton Police publishes monthly ward reports on their ward reports page. They also have a live 60-day crime map you can filter by break-in, auto theft, theft from vehicle, robbery, and more. Everything in this post is from the December 2025 year-end ward reports for all 15 wards.
The 10 Hamilton Wards Hit Hardest by Break-Ins in 2025
Here's the full ranking of all 15 wards by total break-and-enters in 2025, plus property crime, auto theft, and theft-from-auto totals for context.
| # | Ward | B&Es | Property | Auto Theft | From Auto |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ward 3: Crown Point, Stipley, Landsdale | 259 | 2,151 | 143 | 301 |
| 2 | Ward 2: Downtown, Beasley, Durand | 171 | 2,362 | 137 | 439 |
| 3 | Ward 4: East lower, McQuesten, Riverdale | 109 | 1,500 | 106 | 143 |
| 4 | Ward 12: Ancaster | 101 | 1,102 | 118 | 124 |
| 5 | Ward 5: Stoney Creek, Saltfleet, Bayfront | 84 | 1,838 | 160 | 173 |
| 6 | Ward 8: West Mountain, Buchanan | 79 | 1,215 | 118 | 123 |
| 7 | Ward 1: Westdale, Ainslie Wood, Strathcona | 77 | 1,300 | 49 | 157 |
| 8 | Ward 7: Central Mountain | 71 | 1,360 | 137 | 137 |
| 9 | Ward 6: East Mountain | 68 | 916 | 112 | 109 |
| 10 | Ward 13: Dundas | 66 | 534 | 41 | 49 |
| 11 | Ward 10: Stoney Creek (lower) | 54 | 687 | 111 | 82 |
| 12 | Ward 15: Flamborough, Waterdown | 47 | 522 | 79 | 57 |
| 13 | Ward 9: Heritage Green, Stoney Creek Mountain | 37 | 1,024 | 155 | 100 |
| 14 | Ward 11: Glanbrook, Binbrook, Upper Stoney Creek | 31 | 452 | 92 | 74 |
| 15 | Ward 14: West Mountain (newer subdivisions) | 25 | 550 | 69 | 54 |
1. Ward 3: Crown Point, Stipley, Landsdale
259 break-ins ▲ 79% above 5-yr avg
The lower-city east end. Older homes packed tight, semi-detached rows, and the small commercial strips along Barton, Cannon, and Ottawa. Ward 3's 259 break-ins is the most of any Hamilton ward by a wide margin. That's one break-in every 34 hours. In one ward. Property crime hit 2,151 and violent crime 1,412. Both way above the 5-year average.
2. Ward 2: Downtown, Beasley, Corktown, Durand
171 break-ins. Plus 439 thefts from auto. ▲ 2× any other ward
Downtown takes the worst beating in Hamilton. Every type of property crime, highest rate in the city. Ward 2 led on violent crime (1,548 incidents) and total crime indicators (1,998). And the 439 thefts from auto? More than twice any other ward. That's what dense parking, rental and condo turnover, and constant foot traffic does to a neighbourhood.
3. Ward 4: East lower city, McQuesten, Riverdale
109 break-ins ▲ above 5-yr avg
East of Ward 3, covering McQuesten and Riverdale. 109 break-ins, mix of homes and small businesses getting hit. Property crime hit 1,500 and violent crime 802. Both above the ward's 5-year average.
4. Ward 12: Ancaster
101 break-ins ▲ 55% above 5-yr avg
Ancaster has bigger lots, bigger homes, bigger price tags. And the 101 break-ins in 2025 is way above the ward's 5-year average of 65. Auto theft is up too (118). Big properties with lots of entry points and neighbours you can't see from your front window? That's exactly what opportunistic burglars want. It's a pattern we're seeing across every higher-income suburb in the GTA. The absolute numbers aren't the highest, but the trend line is steep.
5. Ward 5: Stoney Creek lower, Saltfleet, Bayfront
84 break-ins. 160 auto thefts (highest in city)
Lower Stoney Creek, Saltfleet, and the bayfront industrial corridor. Ward 5's 160 auto thefts is the highest of any ward in the city. Why? Residential streets sitting right by the QEW, plus a ton of commercial parking. If you're here, your car's at as much risk as your house. Total property crime: 1,838. Violent crime: 624.
6. Ward 8: West Mountain, Buchanan, Yeoville
79 break-ins ~ flat vs 5-yr avg
West mountain mixes older established homes with newer infill. Ward 8's 79 break-ins matches its 5-year average so nothing dramatic there. But auto theft (118) is way up. The mountain access points like the Linc, Mohawk, and Limeridge make this area easy to get in and out of fast. That's a factor.
7. Ward 1: Westdale, Ainslie Wood, Strathcona
77 break-ins. Seasonal student-housing pattern
Ward 1 wraps McMaster. Westdale, Ainslie Wood, Strathcona. The 77 break-ins are right around the 5-year average. Auto theft's low (49). What matters here is timing. Student housing empties out for summer and December holidays, and that's when the break-ins spike. Burglars know the schedule too.
8. Ward 7: Central Mountain
71 break-ins ▲ 42% above 5-yr avg
Central mountain. Westcliffe, Hampton Heights, around Mohawk College. 71 break-ins, up from a 5-year average around 50. Property crime's at 1,360 and auto theft's at 137. Same story as the rest of the mountain: easy highway access plus residential streets equals more property crime.
9. Ward 6: East Mountain
68 break-ins ~ near 5-yr avg
East mountain. Sherwood, Berrisfield, Lawfield. 68 break-ins, right around the ward's recent averages. Property crime's actually down a bit, but violent crime's up. Quieter ward overall, but that violent-crime trend is worth keeping an eye on.
10. Ward 13: Dundas
66 break-ins ▲ above 5-yr avg of 50
Dundas has always been one of Hamilton's safer wards. But 66 break-ins is above the 5-year average of 50. The upward trend's real. Auto theft's still low here (41), but the gap between Dundas and the lowest-crime wards is closing every year.
Property crime is moving outward. The areas that used to feel insulated from these patterns are seeing them now.
A Clear Pattern: The East End and Downtown Are Carrying the Weight
Pull the citywide data together and two patterns jump out:
Pattern 1: The lower-city east corridor (Wards 3 and 4) plus downtown (Ward 2) absorb most of Hamilton's property crime. Together those three wards had 539 break-ins, 386 auto thefts, and 883 thefts from auto. That's 42% of the city's break-ins in 3 contiguous wards. Density, walkable getaway routes, and older mixed-use fabric all play a role.
Pattern 2: Higher-income suburbs are seeing the sharpest year-over-year jumps. Ancaster went from a 5-year average of 65 break-ins to 101. Dundas went from 50 to 66. Even Upper Stoney Creek (Ward 11), historically one of Hamilton's safest, hit 31 break-ins against a 5-year average around 25. The absolute numbers are smaller, but the direction's unmistakable.
Property crime is moving outward. The neighbourhoods that used to feel insulated from this stuff aren't insulated anymore.
What You Can Actually Do About It
Knowing your ward's number doesn't stop a break-in. The right setup does. Here's what actually works in Hamilton, based on what we see in the field every week.
Get Monitored. ULC. Period.
A monitored home security system with 24/7 ULC S561-certified alarm monitoring means when a sensor trips, a real person at a Canadian monitoring centre is on the line in seconds. They check the alarm and call Hamilton Police. Most break-ins end the second the siren goes off. But for the ones that don't, monitored versus a noisy box on the wall is the difference between an attempt and a completed break-in. Already got a system from ADT, TELUS, or Bell? Free alarm system takeover assessment tells you what's reusable.
Cameras That Actually Catch the Plate
Hamilton Police needs footage. Without it, most break-in reports become statistics nobody solves. Home and business security cameras with the right angles on your doors, driveway, and approach points give police a face, a plate, or a vehicle pattern they can work with. For commercial after-hours, remote business video monitoring means a real operator watches the live feed and calls when something's actually happening.
Smart Doorbells and Smart Locks
A smart video doorbell tells you the second someone walks up. Smart locks with keyless entry kill the keys-under-the-mat problem and let you check from anywhere if the door's locked. Both scare off the casual opportunist who's the most common burglar profile in Hamilton's east end.
Layered Intrusion Detection
One sensor, one panel? That's not enough for an older Hamilton home with multiple ways in. A real intrusion detection system means contacts on every accessible door and window, motion sensors at hallway pinch points, and glass-break sensors on the vulnerable windows. You're not trying to stop them at the perimeter (motivated burglars find a way in). You're catching them in the first 10 seconds after they're inside, before they take anything.
If You're a Business in Wards 2, 3, or 4
Commercial break-ins are concentrated downtown and in the east end. Commercial access control systems with key cards or fobs replace traditional keys, so that ex-employee who never returned theirs isn't a problem anymore. Pair it with commercial alarm systems on ULC monitoring and you're covered for what your insurance probably already requires. If you're a retail storefront, retail security and loss prevention with glass-break and POS-area cameras handles both shoplifting and after-hours.
Don't Forget Fire and Water
Break-ins aren't the only risk. Residential fire protection and water leak detection sensors run on the same panel and monitoring centre as your alarm. One app, one team watching. Especially important for Ward 1 rentals and Ward 12/13 bigger homes where a basement leak in an empty house costs more than any break-in.
Auto Theft Is a Different Story
The wards leading on auto theft aren't always the ones leading on break-ins. Ward 5 (Stoney Creek/Bayfront) hit 160 vehicles stolen in 2025. Ward 9 (Heritage Green/Stoney Creek mountain) hit 155, even though it ranks 13th on break-ins. Ward 7 (central mountain) had 137.
The common thread? Highway access. Quick on, quick off. Stolen cars get moved to a staging spot within 30 minutes and then loaded for export. Doesn't matter what kind of neighbourhood you're in. If you're close to the QEW or the Linc, your car's at higher risk.
What stops it: Garage door monitoring with auto-close so you can't accidentally leave it open overnight (it happens). A security camera with a clean plate-capture angle on your driveway. And if you've got a commercial yard in Stoney Creek industrial, vehicle gate access control on the fence.
Bottom line: Hamilton's break-in problem is concentrated downtown and in the east end. But every ward, including Ancaster, Dundas, and Upper Stoney Creek, saw increases this year. What works is the same no matter where you live: monitored alarm, cameras that catch what police can use, smart entry hardware, and a local company that actually picks up the phone when you call.
38 Years Protecting Hamilton Homes and Businesses
We're Force Security. Family-owned in Niagara Falls. We've been installing and monitoring Hamilton security systems for 38 years. Our techs live in this region. They know which mountain roads run highest on auto theft and which downtown alleys get the most break-ins. That kind of local context changes how we install.
We use ULC S561-certified monitoring (the same standard banks use). Open-standard equipment you actually own. No multi-year contracts. The technician who installs your system is the same one who comes back if anything goes wrong. We've taken over thousands of systems from ADT, TELUS, Bell, and Vivint, and we'll do a free takeover assessment if you're locked into a contract you'd rather not be in.
Know Your Risk. Get Protected.
Get a Free Security Assessment for Your Hamilton Home or Business
Frequently Asked Questions
How many break-and-enters were there in Hamilton in 2025?
Hamilton Police logged 1,279 break-and-enters across all 15 wards in 2025, based on the December 2025 year-end ward reports. The 2025 Hamilton Community Safety Survey says about 40% of victims never report break-ins to police, so the real number's closer to 2,000+.
Which Hamilton ward had the most break-ins in 2025?
Ward 3. Crown Point, Stipley, and Landsdale in the lower-city east end. 259 break-ins in 2025, more than any other Hamilton ward by a wide margin. Ward 2 (downtown, Beasley, Durand) was second at 171. Ward 4 (east lower city, McQuesten, Riverdale) was third at 109.
Is crime going up or down in Hamilton?
Mostly up. Property crime and violent crime are above the 5-year average in most wards. 911 calls hit a record 501,318 in 2025, up from 458,473 in 2024. The clearest pattern is that property crime's spreading outward into wards that used to be safe. Ancaster, Dundas, and Upper Stoney Creek are all seeing the steepest increases by percentage.
Which Hamilton ward had the most auto thefts in 2025?
Ward 5 (Stoney Creek lower, Saltfleet, Bayfront). 160 vehicles stolen in 2025. Ward 9 (Heritage Green, Stoney Creek mountain) was right behind at 155. Both have direct QEW or Linc access. That's the biggest predictor of auto-theft rates in this region. Stolen vehicles get moved to a staging spot within 30 minutes.
Are downtown Hamilton break-ins worse than other neighbourhoods?
Downtown (Ward 2) is second on residential break-ins (171 vs 259), but it leads the city on thefts from auto (439, more than 2x any other ward), violent crime (1,548), and total crime indicators (1,998). Per capita, downtown absorbs more property crime than anywhere else in Hamilton. Density, walkability, and constant vehicle turnover are the reasons.
What's the best way to protect my Hamilton home from a break-in?
Layers. A monitored alarm with ULC-certified 24/7 monitoring catches the attempt and dispatches Hamilton Police. Outdoor cameras give police actual evidence to work with. Smart locks and a smart doorbell deter the opportunistic burglar (the most common type in Hamilton). Garage door monitoring and good exterior lighting cover the rest. We do free Hamilton home assessments in every ward, every week.
Where can I see real-time Hamilton crime data?
Hamilton Police publishes monthly ward reports at hamiltonpolice.on.ca/ward-reports. They also have a 60-day live crime map at their mapping tool. You can filter by break-in, auto theft, theft from vehicle, robbery, and homicide. There's a 1-day delay on incident posting.
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