Calgary 
Alberta plans to hire 100 more street-level police officers over the next 18 months to increase the visible law enforcement presence and tackle criminal activity in high-crime locations in Calgary and Edmonton.
Screenshot YourAlberta/YouTube
According to a news release from the provincial government, Edmonton’s LRT and transit centers have experienced a 75% increase in violent crime incidents between July 2022 and January 2023. In contrast, Calgary has seen an overall increase of 46% in criminal occurrences at LRT stations between 2021 and 2022.
The crime severity index in downtown Edmonton has risen 29% from July 2022 to December 2022, mainly due to an increase in serious criminal offenses such as second-degree murder, assault causing bodily harm with a weapon, robbery and aggravated assault. In Edmonton, the likelihood of being victimized by a stranger at a transit center is double the citywide average (70% vs 36%).
Meanwhile, property crime occurrences in Calgary almost doubled, increasing 95% from 238 in 2021 to 463 in 2022. Total calls for service to Calgary LRT stations also rose by 39%, with public-generated calls increasing by 20% and officer-generated calls increasing by 69% in 2022 compared to the previous year.
In response to the situation, the government is planning to hire 100 street-level police officers over the next 18 months to increase the visible law enforcement presence in high-crime locations.
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Per the news release, the government is also encouraging the City of Calgary and the City of Edmonton to transfer command and control of transit peace officers to the Calgary and Edmonton police services. This transfer would enable the police to better lead a coordinated and strategic response to the increase in violent crime on public transit.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said, “Enough is enough – the rising crime levels in Edmonton and Calgary are unacceptable. Albertans have a right to use public transit and walk the streets without fear. We are working with our partners to develop a clear plan to take our cities back from those who seek to cause harm.”
To improve public safety on the cities’ transit networks, the government is providing a $5 million grant to each city, enabling municipal governments to provide the services needed to keep station platforms and vehicles clean, safe and welcoming for law-abiding Calgarians and Edmontonians.
Additionally, the government is investing almost $8 million over three years to increase the number of police and crisis teams (PACT) in Calgary and Edmonton.
PACT pairs police constables with mental health therapists from Alberta Health Services to respond to 911 calls where there is a mental health concern. By working together, police and mental health therapists can assess a client’s mental health challenge and determine what support is required to keep the individual and the community safe.
The funding will add 12 new PACT partnerships in each city, doubling the number of PACT teams in Calgary and tripling them in Edmonton. According to the government, these partnerships will better support Albertans struggling with mental health challenges while improving public safety for everyone.
The city of Calgary yesterday announced an immediate action plan to address safety concerns on its transit system. Mayor Jyoti Gondek said to this end, additional safety personnel have been deployed, including doubling contracted security guards at stations from 8 to 16, with plans to triple this number to 24 by the end of April. Overnight patrols have been increased from four nights to seven nights a week, and peace officers have been redeployed from other operational areas to high-concern transit areas along 7th Avenue.
