Editing Brantford (section)

=== Safety ===
Brantford's economy was hit hard in the 1980s when farm equipment manufacturers [[Massey Ferguson]] and [[White Farm Equipment]] closed their local plants.<ref name="BScene">{{cite web |last1=Freeze |first1=Jason |title=Brantford in the 1980s – Part 4 |url=https://www.bscene.ca/brantford-in-the-1980s-part-4/ |website=BScene |access-date=15 July 2021 |language=en-CA |date=25 October 2018 |archive-date=15 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715155309/https://www.bscene.ca/brantford-in-the-1980s-part-4/ |url-status=live }}</ref> By the end of 1981, the city's unemployment rate reached 22%.<ref name="BScene" /> As with other small Ontario cities hit by the decline of manufacturing, the community struggled with an increase in social problems.<ref name="BScene" />

In more recent times, the city was hit hard by the [[opioid crisis]]. In 2018, Brantford had the highest rate of emergency department visits for overdose of any city in Ontario.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gee |first1=Marcus |title=In Brantford's opioid nightmare, a community sees more hopeful days ahead |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-in-brantfords-opioid-nightmare-a-community-sees-more-hopeful-days/ |website=Globe and Mail |date=24 February 2019 |access-date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=15 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715155324/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-in-brantfords-opioid-nightmare-a-community-sees-more-hopeful-days/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Brantford struggles to deal with opioid crisis and homelessness |url=https://www.northbaynipissing.com/news-story/9244316-brantford-struggles-to-deal-with-opioid-crisis-and-homelessness/?li_source=li&li_medium=mobile_ymbii&li_tr=mobile_ymbii |website=NorthbayNipissing.com |access-date=15 July 2021 |language=en-CA |archive-date=15 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715160056/https://www.northbaynipissing.com/news-story/9244316-brantford-struggles-to-deal-with-opioid-crisis-and-homelessness/?li_source=li&li_medium=mobile_ymbii&li_tr=mobile_ymbii |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2018, Brantford police reported an overall crime rate of 6,533 incidents per 100,000 population, 59% higher than in Ontario (4,113) and 19% higher than in Canada (5,488).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Government of Canada |first1=Statistics Canada |title=Safe Cities profile series: Key indicators by census metropolitan area – Brantford, Ontario |url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2020001/article/00001/brantford-eng.htm |website=www150.statcan.gc.ca |access-date=15 July 2021 |archive-date=14 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220814062241/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2020001/article/00001/brantford-eng.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The same year, ''[[Maclean's]]'' magazine ranked Brantford as having a higher rate of crime severity than most of the province.<ref>{{cite web |title=Canada's Most Dangerous Places 2018: Explore the data |url=https://www.macleans.ca/canadas-most-dangerous-places/ |website=Macleans.ca |publisher=Maclean's magazine |access-date=15 July 2021 |language=en |archive-date=15 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210715155324/https://www.macleans.ca/canadas-most-dangerous-places/ |url-status=live }}</ref>