An annual public survey called the Public Safety Pulse came before the Thunder Bay Police Service Board Tuesday morning.

The survey measures perceived safety, the issues residents most want addressed, and the areas where community members most want to see police activity or improvement.

412 respondents were recruited online across Thunder Bay between Nov 25th and January 7th. Survey makers employed quotas to match the distribution of race, ethnicity, age, and gender in Thunder Bay in an attempt to represent the entire population of the city.

Key findings

• Women’s sense of safety dropped from 56% to 47% in 2025
• Residents earning between $50,000-$150,000 feel significantly less safe (66% to 53%)
• About half of all residents feel safe (35% reported feeling somewhat safe, 16% reported feeling very safe, similar numbers to the 2024 report)
• Drug use is the clear top priority residents want TBPS to deal with (62%), followed by theft, burglary, and break-ins (43%), gangs (40%), and violence (37%)
• More police presence is the leading action residents feel would help keep their community safe (58%), followed by improved response times (44%)
• Nearly one in four residents report being a victim of crime in the past year (23%)
• Satisfaction with the police service is mixed: 45% are satisfied vs. 23% dissatisfied, and 32% are neutral

This yearly survey makes it possible to measure progress on public safety perceptions and community concerns from one year to the next.