Alberta investing in new police officers in Edmonton
Posted December 12, 2023 8:41 pm.
The Government of Alberta is investing $8.3 million to hire 50 new police officers in Edmonton to fight rising crime within the city.
“Our government will do whatever it takes to address the concerning escalating crime rates, particularly in vital areas like public transit and the downtown core where social disorder is prevalent,” said Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services.
“This funding will help strengthen the capabilities of law enforcement and make sure they have the necessary tools and personnel to improve public safety and fight criminals who continue to prey on vulnerable residents.”
The province says the investment into the Edmonton Police Service will allow the service to recruit, train, and hire new officers and deploy them in high-crime areas such as downtown and transit areas.
“These are much-needed resources, and though hiring and training will take time before officers hit city streets, we know their presence will accelerate our existing efforts,” said Dale McFee, chief of the Edmonton Police Service.
“We have redeployed our front-line resources to places like transit and the downtown and have increased recruit class sizes to get ahead of service demands, and these additional officers are the next step in tackling Edmonton’s high-crime areas. We are grateful for the funding and support of the provincial government and look forward to the impact the officers will have on our streets.”
The province adds new officers build onto additional actions taken by the government to try and improve public safety in Edmonton, including implementing a pilot project to team Alberta Sheriffs with EPS officers, adding more local positions to the Sheriffs’ Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) unit, and a $5-million grant to improve safety on the city’s transit network.
