Edmonton police say targeted enforcement reducing crime citywide
Posted May 8, 2026 9:58 am.
Last Updated May 9, 2026 10:09 am.
The Edmonton Police Service says its ongoing “Safer Edmonton” approach is continuing to reduce crime and disorder across the city through visible policing, intelligence-led deployments and data-driven enforcement.
Police Chief Warren Driechel said the strategy is designed as a long-term policing model rather than a temporary initiative, with officers deployed to targeted “Crime Treatment Zones” based on crime trends and community concerns.
According to EPS, central Edmonton saw decreases in both violent and non-violent crime between March 12 and April 8 compared to the same period last year. Violent crime dropped 1.2 per cent, non-violent crime fell 3.5 per cent, and disorder complaints declined by 13 per cent.
Police highlighted recent enforcement efforts in neighbourhoods including McCauley, Chinatown, Castledowns and the Southgate area. In central Edmonton, officers with the McCauley Beats and Chinatown Beats teams conducted more than 175 public interactions over two weeks, resulting in 17 arrests and 61 bylaw tickets.
In northwest Edmonton, EPS said targeted enforcement helped shut down a chronic problem property in Castledowns that had generated nearly 160 police calls. Meanwhile, south Edmonton saw more than 50 arrests near Southgate Centre and Southgate LRT since February, with disorder at the transit hub reportedly down 20 per cent year over year.
Acting Superintendent Jared Hrycun said the service is tailoring enforcement strategies to the specific needs of each community, with continued attention on transit safety, problem properties and illegal drug activity.
As warmer weather brings more people downtown, EPS says officers will increase their visibility in and around Churchill Square over the coming weeks as part of ongoing efforts to address crime and disorder.
