Edmonton Transit crime increased in 2022: police report

According to a new report released by the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), crime rates increased on city transit over the last year.

The report noted an increase of over 680 – 31.4 per cent – in dispatched calls over the year. In that time, the number of violent calls increased by 52.8 per cent.

Overall, four per cent of city-wide violent crime occurs at LRT stations or transit centers.

“The safety concerns highlighted by this data are not new and are plaguing cities across Canada,” says EPS Chief Dale McFee in a statement.

“Solving this issue is about having the right partner, with the right authorities at the table, to apply the right solutions at the right time. This is why I am pleased to be part of this Transit Safety Partnership and that we are approaching this issue, as we have done downtown, with the right partners to help reduce victimization and to be able to respond to incidents that occur.”

EPS says it will continue to work closely with the City of Edmonton and social agency partners, including Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, to try and find ways to improve safety.

Recently, Community Safety Teams in the downtown core and at several central LRT stations were launched by EPS.

Those teams will “allow the appropriate stakeholder to provide the support best suited to a specific situation,” according to police.

“Violence, crime and disorder on transit cannot be solved by enforcement alone,” says McFee. “It requires a collaborative approach that recognizes the complexity of the issues, which include elements of addiction, mental health, housing and more. But all this being said, enforcement and suppression of crime is a key element in reducing victimization.”