Waterloo Regional Police release 2025 crime statistics

A Waterloo Regional Police officer on April 22, 2026. (Dan Lauckner/CTV News)

The Waterloo Regional Police Service is taking a look back at their biggest and most interesting investigations from the last year.

The details were shared in the force’s annual report, released on Wednesday, using data collected between Jan.1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2025.

While no major trends stood out, there was a significant drop in drug seizures.

Homicides

Police investigated four homicides in 2025 and one attempted homicide.

One was on Sept. 12, when a Cambridge woman was found dead near West River Road and Brant-Waterloo Road in North Dumfries Township. Police never revealed her cause of death but said it was being investigated as a homicide.

Officers conducting a wellness check on Sept. 15 found the body of a 70-year-old man inside a low-rise apartment building at the corner of Cameron Street North and Weber Street East in Kitchener. His injuries were described as “significant.” A 29-year-old woman was arrested the same day and charged with second-degree murder.

On Nov. 17, a disturbance was reported at a home near Highland Road West and Patricia Avenue in Kitchener. Officers found the body of a 44-year-old woman and a second woman was charged with first-degree murder.

A 32-year-old man was fatally shot before his vehicle hit a tree on Century Hill Drive on Dec. 1. At the time, police believed organized crime played a part in his death.

Five homicides were recorded in both 2023 and 2024.

Shootings

Eighteen shootings were investigated by Waterloo Regional Police in 2025.

A Waterloo man was shot in near the former Forwell Super Variety store on April 9.

On Nov. 18, a home on Arthur Fach Drive in Cambridge was targeted. Security video showed a passenger in a dark-coloured car, with guns in both hands, firing Wild West-style. The gunman also appeared to be wearing plastic bags on their hands. Police said they found a total of 14 bullet holes in the home.

Another incident was caught on camera the very next day. Police said at least 51 shots were fired between two black-coloured vehicles near Bridgeport Road East and Weber Street North.

Shots were also fired at homes on Monte Carlo Street in Kitchener on June 5, Roseview Avenue in Cambridge on June 8, and Park Avenue in Cambridge on Aug. 18.

In 2024, there were 22 shootings in Waterloo Region.

Assaults

The total number of assaults reported last year was 5,971.

Police were also involved in 577 sexual assault, 6,132 intimate partner violence (IPV) and 18 human trafficking investigations.

Robberies

Waterloo Regional Police said 152 person-on-person robberies were reported in 2025.

They also investigated 1,869 break-ins, 1,063 stolen vehicles, 2,245 thefts from vehicles and 174 commercial robberies.

In August 2025, police partnered with 529 Garage on a bicycle registration program. Riders were urged to sign up and provide their bike’s serial number, ownership information and photos. If a bicycle was stolen, they could report it through their account and send out a community alert.

Waterloo Regional Police said 7,780 bikes were registered with 529 Garage. Of those, 958 were reported stolen and 96 eventually returned to the owner.

Fraud

Cybercrime was, by far, the biggest problem in 2025.

Waterloo Regional Police said 5,499 incidents were reported across the community.

• Sextortion – 142 cases
• Child exploitation – 390 cases
• Fraud – 3,628 cases
• Identify theft – 922 cases
• Identity fraud – 1,264 cases
• Cryptocurrency – 17 cases

According to the annual report, victims of fraud reported a total loss of $37,727,839.

Weapons

Waterloo Regional Police said 992 guns were seized or surrendered last year, which is on par for the last few years.

The tally was 1,096 in 2023 and 1,088 in 2024.

Traffic charges

Police said 22,435 charges related to road safety were issued in 2025.

They also laid:

• 967 charges for impaired driving (compared to 818 in 2024)
• 5,184 charges for speeding (compared to 6,314 in 2024)
• 418 charges for distracted driving (compared to 334 in 2024)
• 461 charges for failure to wear a seatbelt (compared to 347 in 2024)

Drugs

The following is a comparison of drug seizures from 2023 to 2025.

The most significant drop was for marijuana, which fell from 145,316 grams in 2024 to 10,689 grams in 2025.

Marijuana

• 2023: 53,157 grams
• 2024: 145,316 grams
• 2025: 10,689 grams

Methamphetamine

• 2023: 15,070 grams
• 2024: 15,188 grams
• 2025: 6,848 grams

Fentanyl

• 2023: 18,251 grams
• 2024: 20,772 grams
• 2025: 10,899 grams

Cocaine

• 2023: 45,095 grams
• 2024: 79,997 grams
• 2025: 7,071 grams

Heroin

• 2023: 258 grams
• 2024: 185 grams
• 2025: 74 grams

Ecstasy/MDMA

• 2023: 771 grams
• 2024: 132 grams
• 2025: 764 grams

Oxycodone (pills)

• 2023: 3,090 grams
• 2024: 1,895 grams
• 2025: 2,162 grams

Dilaudid (also called hydromorphone)

• 2024: 839 grams
• 2025: 2,162 grams

The report said the total value of the seized drugs was estimated at $1.88 million.

Overdoses

Officers responded to 49 fatal and 1,020 non-fatal drug poisonings last year. They also administered Naloxone 31 times.

Mental health calls

Waterloo Regional Police said their Integrated Mobile Police and Crisis Team (IMPACT) responded to 1,202 calls for help, averaging three to four calls each day.

Major investigations

Waterloo Regional Police also highlighted their top investigations of the year.

Here’s what made that list:

1. Male arrested after search warrant at Kitchener grow operation
2. Bicycle “chop shop” located at a Kitchener residence
3. Three suspects arrested following a drug trafficking investigation
4. Cambridge male arrested after child exploitation investigation
5. Kitchener male charged in drug trafficking investigation
6. Cambridge male arrested for multiple sexual offences involving youths
7. Five males arrested after an armed robbery at a Cambridge mall
8. Fatal shooting investigation in Kitchener
9. Hundreds of fraudulent gift cards seized during arrest in Kitchener
10. Thousands of dollars of stolen merchandise recovered