Clearance Rate

The clearance rate measures the percentage of reported crimes that police have resolved. A crime is considered "cleared" when police have identified at least one suspect and either laid a charge or resolved the incident through other means.

Canada's national clearance rate is approximately 35-40%, meaning roughly one-third of all reported crimes result in a suspect being identified.

Cleared by Charge: The suspect has been formally charged with the offence. This is the traditional measure of "solving" a crime.

Cleared Otherwise: The police have identified the suspect but cannot lay a charge. Reasons include: the suspect has died, the victim refuses to proceed, diplomatic immunity, the suspect is already serving a sentence for another offence, or diversion programs.

Both types count toward the total clearance rate.

Clearance rates vary dramatically by crime type:

• Homicide: ~75% (highest priority, most resources allocated)
• Assault: ~55% (victim usually knows the offender)
• Sexual Assault: ~45% (lower due to evidence challenges)
• Robbery: ~30% (strangers often involved)
• Break and Enter: ~15% (very difficult to solve)
• Theft Under $5,000: ~10% (low priority, few leads)
• Motor Vehicle Theft: ~12% (often organized crime)

Violent crimes generally have higher clearance rates because victims can often identify the offender.