Province announces additional supports to combat increased violence on public transit

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In addition to increasing the number of street-level police officers on city streets, officials say Alberta’s government is 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, say government officials, would enable the police to better lead a coordinated and strategic response to the increase in violent crime on public transit.

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“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,” adds Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services.

The government says improving public safety on the cities’ transit networks also involves stations and vehicles that are clean of drug paraphernalia and debris. Through a new $5-million grant to each city, officials say municipal governments will be able to provide the services needed to keep station platforms and vehicles clean, safe and welcoming for law-abiding Calgarians and Edmontonians.

“The safety and security of our transit systems and downtowns will remain a top priority. No single order of government can solve this issue alone. We will continue to work together by deploying our safety resources in an integrated and collaborative way,” states Jyoti Gondek, mayor, City of Calgary, and Amarjeet Sohi, mayor, City of Edmonton.

“We are seeing a significant portion of those who are improperly using transit and other public spaces becoming entrenched, with many displaying resistance to offers for services, as well as reduced cooperation and compliance with authority figures. For those people, consequences will follow,” states Mark Neufeld, chief of police, Calgary Police Service.

Police and crisis teams

As part of building strong recovery-oriented systems of mental health and addiction care, Alberta’s government says it is investing almost $8 million over three years to increase the number of police and crisis teams (PACT) in Calgary and Edmonton. Officials say PACT pairs police constables with mental health therapists from Alberta Health Services to respond to 911 calls where there is a mental health concern. Police and mental health therapists work together to assess a client’s mental health challenge and determine what support is required to keep the individual and the community safe.

“We are taking a fair, firm and compassionate approach to keeping our communities safe while treating mental health and addiction as health-care issues. By working with our partners in the Calgary and Edmonton police services, we can connect people in need with critical mental health services and better address the social issues affecting our two largest cities,” shares Nicholas Milliken, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction.

With this funding, Alberta’s government claims it is adding 12 new PACT partnerships in each city. This is expected to double the number of PACT teams in Calgary, increasing from 12 to 24, and triple them in Edmonton, increasing from six to 18. These partnerships, say government officials, are hoped to better support Albertans struggling with mental health challenges while improving public safety for everyone.

“These additional resources will help us to gather what we need to get ahead of the concerning spike in crime and particularly violent crime that we are witnessing in areas like our downtown core and transit stations across Edmonton,” says Dale McFee, chief of police, Edmonton Police Service. “The support, not just for police but for PACT, means prioritizing those who need support while ensuring appropriate focus on safety. Centring police as leaders within this work shows a key understanding that we cannot have well-being if we don’t have safety.”

Alberta government quick facts

Edmonton crime:

• The average crime severity index in downtown Edmonton has increased 29 per cent, to 116 in December 2022 from 90 in July 2022, driven primary by an increase in serious criminal offences, in particular second-degree murder, assault causing bodily harm with a weapon, robbery and aggravated assault.
• In Edmonton, a person is about twice as likely to be victimized by a stranger at a transit centre than for the city as a whole (70 per cent at LRT transit versus 36 per cent citywide).

Calgary crime:

• Property crime occurrences in Calgary nearly doubled – increasing 95 per cent to 463 in 2022, up from 238 in 2021.
• Total calls for service to Calgary LRT stations increased to 9,317 in 2022, up 39 per cent from 6,706 in 2021.

o Public-generated calls for service to LRT stations increased to 5,012 in 2022, up 20 per cent from 4,160 in 2021.

o Officer-generated calls for service to LRT stations increased to 4,305, up 69 per cent from 2,546 in 2021.

PACT facts:

• Police and crisis teams (PACT) offer mental health assessment, support and/or consultation in crisis situations. Mental health therapists work with police constables to assess mental health needs and determine appropriate action in accordance with the Mental Health Act and the criminal justice system.

Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley made the following statement in response:

“I know many folks in our communities, especially in downtown Edmonton and Calgary, are worried about increased crime and insecurity. We hear you and we will be responding to your concerns with concrete commitments in our upcoming platform.

“Let’s be clear about what’s going on here. Soon after getting elected, the UCP took away fine revenue funding that Edmonton and Calgary used to pay for policing. The amount the UCP are announcing today is comparable to what they took away from policing in 2019.

“Crime and social disorder in our downtown cores has also grown due to the steep UCP cuts to affordable housing and rent supplements, which have literally pushed people out of housing and onto the streets.

“After four years of the UCP, homelessness in Edmonton has doubled. After four years of the UCP, we can see more people in addiction on the streets, more people with untreated mental illness, and more desperation.

“The current level of crime and social disorder is a problem the UCP helped create.”