Apr. 12, 2024, Edmonton, Alta. – One year ago, Alberta’s government promised to help address crime on city streets by committing funding for 100 new police officers for Edmonton and Calgary. Budget 2024 invests in safe, secure Alberta communities by investing in frontline police officers. In advance of establishing long-term funding agreements with both cities, initial funding of $10 million will be split between the City of Calgary and the City of Edmonton for the training and deployment of 50 new frontline police officers in each city.
Effective March 31, half of the promised additional police officers have been assigned to frontline policing duties in Edmonton and Calgary and the remaining police officers are expected to be deployed by the end of the year.
“We know that officer presence matters, and everyone has a right to walk down the street or use public transit without fearing for their safety. I commend the Calgary Police Service and the Edmonton Police Service for their progress in getting these new officers trained and deployed on the streets. Alberta’s government is delivering on its commitment to support Calgary and Edmonton with real action to address their ongoing public safety challenges,” said Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services.
The Calgary Police Service (CPS) has deployed new officers to the frontlines. CPS is using the provincial funding to establish specialized Community Engagement Response Teams in each of the city’s eight districts. These teams will be focused on high-crime areas and transit corridors in different areas of the city.
Funding from Budget 2024 for additional police officers in Calgary is in addition to an initial investment of $8.8 million for CPS in Calgary in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
“These officers will help create safe public spaces by reducing crime and social disorder through focused, collaborative enforcement and compassionate supports. This includes a concerted effort to address high-system users to lower crime and help make people feel safer,” said Mark Neufeld, chief constable, Calgary Police Service.
The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) has also deployed new frontline officers into designated high-crime areas, which had previously been supported by redeployed EPS officers and Alberta Sheriffs in 2023. Having dedicated support in place will help EPS continue to support other areas in need while still supporting the frontlines.
Funding from Budget 2024 for more police officers in Edmonton is in addition to an initial investment of over $8 million made by Alberta’s government in December 2023. As a result of this funding, EPS has expanded its recruit and experienced officer training class sizes for 2024 and bolstered its recruiting efforts to fill the classes with qualified candidates.
“We are starting to see safer public spaces as these new resources move into high-crime areas downtown and at transit locations. As expected, the presence of police officers at these locations is having a noticeable effect on criminal activity as well as the public’s perception of safety, with the average crime severity on transit dropping by 11 per cent in 2023. We welcome more of this needed collaboration on community safety and well-being as our city continues to grow in the years to come,” said Dale McFee, chief, Edmonton Police Service.
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