Calgary seen as safe by most, but even safer in reality

On August 24, 2017, a report on a Mainstreet safety survey revealed a discrepancy between public perception and actual crime data in Calgary.

According to the survey of 2,050 Canadian adults, public opinion did not always align with official statistics. An executive of Mainstreet noted that Edmonton was widely perceived as safer than Calgary, despite Edmonton having both higher crime rates and a higher crime severity index.

The executive stated that numbers from Statistics Canada told a different story than public opinion. He explained that news coverage often amplified crime rates, which in turn affected perceptions of safety. He also noted that news on social media was not dictated by what was broadcast or printed.