Addressing poverty best way to reduce crime, majority of city residents say in survey

A majority of Winnipeg residents believe addressing poverty is the most effective way to reduce crime, according to a recent survey conducted by Abacus Data for the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. The poll found that 56% of respondents favor increased spending on poverty reduction, while only 22% support spending more on police. Support for addressing poverty has decreased by six percentage points since 2022, while support for increased police spending has risen by three points.

Kate Kehler, the council's executive director, noted that calls for more police are driven by the city's growing population and frustration among crime victims over slow police response times. However, Kehler argued that increasing the number of officers relative to the population does not reduce crime and that the cost of the police budget is unsustainable.

Winnipeg's police budget is set to increase by $18 million in 2026 to $370 million, but Kehler doesn't blame Police Chief Gene Bowers for seeking additional resources. She emphasized that politicians and leadership must make decisions based on what works and what doesn't.

The survey also revealed significant differences based on age and political affiliation. Younger respondents (18-34) favored poverty reduction by a larger margin (74%), while older residents (55 and older) were more divided, with 42% supporting increased police spending. NDP voters were the most supportive of poverty reduction (69%), while 17% of Progressive Conservative voters favored increased police spending.

The survey also highlighted the high poverty rates among children in Winnipeg Centre, the federal urban riding with the highest rates in Canada (42% of children living in poverty in 2023). Kehler warned that even a short period of poverty can significantly impact brain development. She stressed that poverty reduction is crucial for the well-being of children and the community.

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives proposed redirecting $34 million (about 10%) of the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) budget toward poverty reduction, harm reduction, and housing in its alternative municipal budget. The proposal would lower the WPS's share of the city's budget from 28% to 23%, still above the 15% average in comparable Canadian municipalities.