Police say ‘targeted initiatives’ played role in new data showing Edmonton crime rate has decreased

The Edmonton Police Service held a news convention connected Wednesday to talk numbers precocious released by nan Canadian Centre for Justice and Community Safety Statistics that propose nan crime complaint successful Alberta’s superior decreased by 11 per cent successful 2023 compared to nan twelvemonth before.

“Nationally, nan wide police-reported crime complaint successful Canada went up 3 per cent,” Ron Anderson, nan EPS’ main invention and strategy officer, told reporters. “So we person a marked quality betwixt Edmonton and nan remainder of Canada.

“Having said that, we still person overmuch activity to do successful nan areas of ongoing convulsive crime which remains a challenge.”

In a news release, Anderson suggested “targeted initiatives that are now decently resourced pinch EPS members and our partners” played a domiciled successful driving down nan wide crime rate.

“Initiatives specified arsenic nan Edmonton Police Foundation’s Community Accelerator program, which applied focused strategies to combat crimes specified arsenic liquor store and catalytic converter theft, began to salary dividends successful 2023,” he said. “As well, Safer Public Spaces, targeting societal upset and victimization, had an effect successful Edmonton’s downtown halfway and surrounding communities.

“The provincial government’s caller Navigation Centre and dedicated LRT deployments are already looking promising passim nan first 2 quarters of 2024.”

Anderson besides said nan EPS’ high-risk encampment teams person played an important domiciled successful addressing upset successful nan city’s core.

However, nan convulsive crime severity scale for Edmonton roseate by 4 per cent successful nan aforesaid clip period. Anderson said “this is chiefly driven successful nan summation successful firearms and weapons.”

“Make nary mistake, convulsive crime continues to beryllium a awesome interest successful our city,” he said. “While we still request to support our ft connected nan crime-fighting pedal, we’re opening to spot immoderate tangible traction pinch immoderate of our targeted initiatives.”

Dan Jones, a retired constabulary serviceman who is now nan chair of justness studies astatine NorQuest College, said it is important constabulary departments do not opportunity “something caused thing erstwhile it didn’t” but credited nan EPS pinch providing much than conscionable 2 years of statistic erstwhile explaining why nan department’s officials judge definite initiatives person had an effect.

“It would beryllium absorbing to excavation much into their information to understand precisely really they nexus nan programs and processes that they person to nan 11 per cent,” he said. “I’m not saying it’s not there, I’m conscionable saying it would beryllium really neat to spot really that played retired pinch immoderate of nan programs.”

Anderson said location was a notable summation successful nan reporting of fraud successful 2023 (up by 7.7 per cent since 2022), a inclination he noted is evident crossed overmuch of nan country, particularly ever since nan COVID-19 pandemic deed successful 2020.

“We request to beryllium focused connected acquisition arsenic good arsenic persistence successful targeting individuals perpetrating these events,” he said.

Insp. Tim Horon said it is cardinal for Edmontonians to beryllium knowledgeable connected nan “methods that nan fraudsters will usage to effort to effect our community.”

“We cognize that is caused millions of dollars of nonaccomplishment each twelvemonth and impacts almost everyone successful our community,” he said. “Why is this up? I deliberation that nan tools, nan exertion that is being utilized is profound.”

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Horon said constabulary effort to activity pinch partners successful nan tech assemblage to support up pinch caller fraud techniques utilized by criminals but stressed educating citizens astir nan threat of fraud is vital.

Anderson noted extortion besides became a increasing interest for EPS successful 2023, “some of which was a consequence of nan caller Gaslight project,” an investigation looking into area homebuilders being threatened pinch arson.

Anderson pointed retired that constabulary are alert location are ever unreported crimes arsenic well.

“If we look astatine intersexual assaults, statistically only 38 per cent of those get reported,” he said. “We do promote everybody to study to us.”

Jones besides acknowledged constabulary “don’t person each nan information because they don’t person what’s not reported.”

“Certain things group whitethorn extremity reporting — they commencement getting comfortable pinch disorder, comfortable pinch crime,” he said. “I’ve moreover had group I cognize say, ‘It was only my sunglasses successful my motortruck and it’s not worthy nan deductable, worthy reporting.’

“I deliberation ignorant is unluckily connected nan rise.”

Jones said he thinks that ignorant could stem from immoderate group believing location will not beryllium a use to them reporting crimes. He besides said that he believes ignorant is rising arsenic much and much group progressively trust connected integer devices for illustration societal media for quality connections.

“It creates a spot of ignorant arsenic good because we don’t person arsenic overmuch compassion for our chap brothers and sisters.”