Photo: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center · Public domainFor recorded crime, Burton sits in the middle of Canadian towns
Its Crime Severity Index averaged 63.2 over 2023–2025, against 68.5 for the typical Canadian town its size. All told, Burton grades B− for safety (#13 of 59 in New Brunswick): close to the middle of Canadian towns, on crime its police reported from 2023 to 2025. Typical years here bring 10.8 violent incidents plus 22.7 incidents of property crime per 1,000 residents, against 12.9 plus 31.2 in the typical town its size.
Statistics Canada, police-reported crime, 2023–2025 means. The index weighs each crime by its seriousness; rates are incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Data for crime severity, crime rate and incident counts covers the Oromotco detachment area.
What stands out about safety in Burton
Easing since 2023
Burton’s index went from 74 in 2023 to 58.2 in 2025; the typical Canadian town its size moved from 74.3 to 64.2. Year by year ↓
In the middle of towns its size
Set among the 40 Canadian towns closest to it in population, Burton comes 21st, counting from the lowest Crime Severity Index. Towns its size ↓
Much like New Brunswick’s towns
The typical New Brunswick town scores 72.8; Burton, 63.2. Towns its size ↓
Written from Statistics Canada’s police-reported crime by police service and detachment, 2023–2025. Figures are what police recorded, not convictions.
What’s behind Burton’s grade
How sure: Less sure than most. No detachment reports for Burton itself, so the grade rests on the nearest one’s figures, 5 km away.
The grade weighs the Crime Severity Index and its violent half, averaged over 2023–2025, against every Canadian town and city neighbourhood of 1,000 people or more.
Its place: #13 of 59 in New Brunswick and #951 of 2,572 Canadian towns.
The Crime Severity Index and its two halves, beside the typical figure for Canadian towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people.
Burton’s crime by kind
Against the typical town its size, Burton runs highest on mischief (6.1 per 1,000 against 4.9). Assault and theft under $5,000 sit below it.
Every Statistics Canada violation line
| Violation | Incidents a year | Per 1,000 | Cleared |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 1 | 0.03 | — |
| Sexual violations against children | 7.3 | 0.2 | 68% |
| Assaults against a peace officer | 6.7 | 0.2 | 90% |
| Firearms: use, discharge, pointing | 4.3 | 0.1 | — |
| Robbery | 2 | 0.07 | — |
| Forcible confinement or kidnapping | 1.3 | 0.05 | — |
| Other violent violations | 4 | 0.1 | — |
| Breaking and entering | 63.3 | 2.2 | 13% |
| Possession of stolen property | 49 | 1.7 | 24% |
| Theft of a motor vehicle | 58 | 2 | 8% |
| Theft over $5,000 | 31 | 1 | 2% |
| Theft under $5,000 | 146 | 5 | 9% |
| Mischief | 177.3 | 6.1 | 5% |
| Weapons violations | 13.3 | 0.5 | 58% |
| Administration of justice violations | 80 | 2.7 | 63% |
| Other Criminal Code violations | 33.7 | 1.1 | 28% |
| Drug violations | 12.7 | 0.4 | 34% |
| Impaired driving | 55 | 1.9 | 48% |
| Failing to stop or remain | 1.7 | 0.06 | — |
Statistics Canada’s violation groups for the whole police service or detachment, incidents a year its own. Cleared: incidents solved by a charge or otherwise, as a share of those reported.
Incidents per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025 means, against the typical figure for Canadian towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people.
From 2023 to 2025, Burton’s index dropped 21%
Crime Severity Index
Its index has not been as high since 2023 (74); the low point came in 2024, at 57.3. Over 2023–2025, the typical Canadian town its size moved from 74.3 to 64.2.
Every year as a table
| Year | Burton | Typical town its size |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 58.2 | 64.2 |
| 2024 | 57.3 | 68.8 |
| 2023 | 74 | 74.3 |
Statistics Canada, Crime Severity Index by police service, each year as published. Typical: the median of Canadian towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people.
The Crime Severity Index of the police covering Burton, each year, against the typical Canadian town its size.
Burton is 21st of 40 towns its size, lowest index first
| # | Town | People | Severity index | Violent index | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwood Ontario | 5,308 | 25.2 | 31.4 | A+ |
| … | |||||
| 18 | Saint-Jean-de-Matha Quebec | 5,415 | 57.5 | 87.6 | B |
| 19 | Memramcook New Brunswick | 5,616 | 58.4 | 80 | B |
| 20 | Grand Bay-Westfield New Brunswick | 5,202 | 58.8 | 54.7 | B− |
| 21 | Burton New Brunswick | 5,424 | 63.2 | 81.9 | B− |
| 22 | Juan de Fuca (Part 1) British Columbia | 5,439 | 63.5 | 90.2 | B− |
| 23 | Grand Falls / Grand-Sault New Brunswick | 5,465 | 65.6 | 72.4 | B− |
| 24 | Stonewall Manitoba | 5,443 | 66.3 | 59.7 | B− |
| … | |||||
| 40 | The Pas Manitoba | 5,634 | 572.1 | 753.3 | D− |
The 40 Canadian towns of 2,500+ people closest in population; city neighbourhoods, city totals and reserves are left out. Towns on one police service or detachment share its index.
The Canadian towns closest to Burton in population, the lowest Crime Severity Index first (2023–2025 means).
Around 320 violent incidents a year at the detachment nearest Burton (30,400 residents), 2023–2025
Violent incidents per 1,000 a year, 2023–2025
Property crimes per 1,000 a year, 2023–2025
Statistics Canada counts actual incidents; those police record as unfounded are listed apart and kept out of its crime rates and severity index. Each incident is filed under its most serious violation, which the survey sets partly by the maximum penalty.
Property crime adds about 670 a year and other violations 300 (2023–2025 average). Of 1,000 dots, one per resident, the coloured ones are a year’s incidents at these rates.
Crime in the places around Burton
| Town | People | Severity index | Violent index | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burton | 5,424 | 63.2 | 81.9 | B− |
| Oromocto | 9,451 | 138.7 | 183.5 | D |
| Lincoln | 8,093 | 63.2 | 81.9 | B− |
| Maugerville | 1,808 | 63.2 | 81.9 | B− |
Same police, same number: 2 neighbours drop out of the comparison for that reason.
Each place’s police figures, 2023–2025 means.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- What clearance means. A crime is cleared when police lay or recommend a charge, or solve it another way; the weighted rate counts serious crimes for more.
- An index, not a verdict. Police-reported incidents, each multiplied by a weight drawn from court sentences, summed and divided by the population: that is the index, and its makers attach a caution, “The CSI is not an indicator of overall safety and should be interpreted in the broader community context.”
- The index’s scale. Statistics Canada set the national index at 100 for 2006; every figure here is read against that.
Questions about safety in Burton
Is Burton safe?
Its police recorded 10.8 violent incidents and 22.7 property crimes a year per 1,000 residents over 2023–2025, which gives Burton a Crime Severity Index of 63.2. Across Canadian towns of 2,500 to 10,000 people, the median is 68.5.
What is the most common crime in Burton?
Top of the list is other Criminal Code offences (6.5 per 1,000 residents a year); mischief, at 6.1, and theft under $5,000, at 5, follow.
Is crime going up in Burton?
No: the index fell 21%, from 74 in 2023 to 58.2 in 2025.
How much of Burton’s crime do police solve?
Police cleared 29% of crime once each incident is weighted by seriousness: 54% of violent crime and 15% of the rest, against 34% for the typical Canadian town its size.
Whose figures are these?
A police service or detachment that covers Burton and other places, so the figures are shared.
Source: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime by police service and detachment, 2023–2025 (Statistics Canada Open Licence); TownRatings calculation.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, police services (tables 35-10-0186 to 0190, 0061, 0063, 0064), 2023–2025 · Statistics Canada, Incident-based crime statistics by detailed violations, police services (35-10-0178 to 0185) · Safety Grade: TownRatings calculation. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).