No matter who you are or where you live in Edmonton, you and your loved ones deserve to be safe. Everyone should be able to live a fulfilling and dignified life in our city free of fear or insecurity.
Despite reports that Alberta is becoming safer, many Edmontonians are not feeling that way. Over the last few months, I have attended dozens of community safety meetings, from neighbourhood walks to town halls, where people have shared their fears and frustrations about the wellbeing of our neighbourhoods - people are asking for help.
OUR COMMUNITIES ARE FACING COMPOUNDING CRISES
Many communities across Edmonton have been reporting a rise in previously unexperienced activities. The presence of encampments and the challenges associated with open drug use have understandably caused concern among residents, and highlighted the urgent need for support and solutions.
Since the pandemic, Alberta’s homelessness and opioid crises have only worsened, affecting every corner of our city. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Edmonton is up 47%, and 2023 was the deadliest year on record for overdoses in Alberta.
Edmontonians are responding to people in crisis, trying to explain traumatic events to their kids, opting to avoid local amenities, and worrying about vulnerable community members living in ravines and parks with winter just around the corner.
The vast majority of people are doing the right things; connecting with their community, offering support, and repeatedly calling 211, 311, 377, and 911. Despite the challenges we are facing, I remain proud of the compassionate and thoughtful people who are stepping up, trying to help, fostering neighbourliness over division, and looking for serious solutions to community safety.
But the truth is, this shouldn’t be your burden to bear alone, and as a community, we simply do not have all of the tools or resources to manage this on our own. We have been handed bandaids with which we are expected to heal a broken system, and we need help from the people who have the power to make meaningful changes.
MUNICIPAL ACTION
At the municipal level, no City Council in Edmonton’s history has spent more on police, bylaw enforcement, park rangers, and public safety. However, as Police Chief Dale McFee has shared, Edmonton can’t expect to "arrest our way out of our troubles.”
To build communities where everyone feels safe, we need to focus on preventing issues in the first place by addressing the root causes, not just reacting to things after they happen. Improving community safety and wellbeing requires a comprehensive approach that addresses both immediate concerns and underlying causes.
To address root causes, the City is continuing to invest hundreds of millions into affordable and supportive housing. Since 2019, the City has invested $317.5 million to support the development of affordable housing. We are also investing in 24/7 crisis diversion, transit safety, enhanced cleaning, and multidisciplinary outreach teams, such as the Community Outreach Transit Teams.
In the 2024 Community Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, Homeward Trust identifies that by 2030, in order to meet demand, we will need:
300 - 600 spaces to address the backlog of individuals who have asked for housing support and are waiting to be matched with a housing case worker;
150 - 250 more bridge housing units will be needed to help stabilize those being matched with housing; and
1,400 - 1,700 more units of supportive housing will be needed for chronically homeless individuals.
The impacts of this resource gap on City services are clear: more encampments and visible homelessness, increased public perception of a lack of safety in City spaces and facilities, and growing pressure from Edmontonians to do more, better, and faster.
Beyond the above investments, the City has been stepping outside of municipal jurisdiction to fill gaps left by other levels of government, like spending $85.1 million on homelessness, shelter capacity, and mental health and addiction in 2022 and 2023 alone. Edmonton Fire Rescue Services has also spent $28 million in 2023 to respond to medical calls, many of which are overdoses.
City Council has directed city administration to develop a Violence Prevention Action Plan to guide the City’s approach to preventing violence, focusing efforts upstream to address the underlying risk factors that contribute to individuals and communities experiencing violence.
We are also responding directly to community calls for targeted safety measures like restricting the sale of bear spray to minors, starting the successful Problem Properties Initiative, and banning the sale of knives in convenience stores to reduce impulsive purchases that contribute to crime.
The City has a comprehensive list of municipal actions we are taking in the immediate term and long term to support public safety and wellbeing in the areas of enforcement, transit, housing, and prevention: see here.
Council has also declared a Housing and Homelessness Emergency, and developed a Community Safety and Wellbeing Strategy that we are in the process of implementing.
While all of these actions and investments are critically important for community safety and wellbeing, the deeply dissatisfying reality is that despite our best efforts - municipal action is not enough.
Community members are increasingly on the front lines of an escalating crisis that requires decisive action from all levels of government.
COMMUNITY SAFETY IS A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
Federal, provincial and municipal governments are all involved in advancing community safety and wellbeing. Broadly speaking, responsibility for health and social support services falls to the provinces; responsibilities relating to criminal justice, control of narcotics and supporting relations with First Nations and Indigenous peoples falls to the federal government; and each government has a specific set of responsibilities related to law enforcement.
Historically, municipalities focused on programs such as fire services, municipal policing, land use allocation, and infrastructure delivery. However, as outlined above, municipalities are increasingly pressed to address social issues such as housing and homelessness, public health, and drug overdose prevention, even though they do not have the powers or resources to adequately respond.
This is a form of downloading, where municipalities are working to fill gaps in service when federal or provincial governments do not keep pace with spending responsibilities in their own jurisdictions.
It has become clear that the ramifications of provincial downloading do not stop at City Hall - they land at your front door. We need the Province to meet their mandate and deliver on their core responsibilities related to housing, healthcare, education, social supports, and justice to help create safe and healthy communities for everyone.
MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS ALBERTA ARE ASKING FOR HELP
This is not just an Edmonton problem, challenges related to community safety and wellbeing are affecting municipalities across Alberta.
From large urban cities to small villages, Alberta Municipalities are calling for Permanent Supportive Housing Capital and Operational Funding from the province, and a Provincial Emergency Shelter Strategy to ensure appropriate housing and supports are available for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Almost two years ago, Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said, “help is on the way soon," when the Premier assembled the Edmonton Public Safety and Community Response Task Force to address the issues of addiction, homelessness and public safety. Unfortunately, we have yet to see the results people are hoping for.
The status quo is clearly not working.
NEED FOR IMMEDIATE ACTIONS
Here are some immediate actions we need to see to improve safety and wellbeing in our communities:
1. Expand daytime support spaces to match the unhoused population.
2. Address the opioid crisis.
3. Invest in affordable, supportive, and transitional housing.
4. Support our first responders.
5. Stop the revolving door at overburdened Emergency Rooms.
6. Edmonton cannot be the default destination for Alberta's most vulnerable.
7. Address gaps in the Justice System.
8. Give youth the support they deserve.
STEPPING IN AND UP FOR OUR COMMUNITIES
Edmonton is a city known for its resilience, compassion, and community spirit. We have shown time and time again that we are willing to step up and support our neighbours. But we cannot do this alone.
Edmontonians and Albertans cannot continue to bear the brunt of a system that has failed them. While City Council remains steadfast in its commitment to investing in and advocating for solutions, it is critical to recognize the need for action and increased support from the provincial government.
Insufficient attention to and underperformance on core responsibilities related to housing, healthcare, social supports, and justice has contributed to rising homelessness, deepening health crises, and a sense of insecurity in our neighbourhoods.
Edmontonians are rising to the occasion every single day to support community safety and wellbeing; we need the province to join us.
WHAT CAN YOU DO
While we advocate for change, Edmontonians are also taking action within their own neighbourhoods. When we feel insecure, uncomfortable, or unsafe, it can be overwhelming and leave us feeling powerless, but there are steps you and your community can take today to support community safety and wellbeing. Here are some actionable resources and information to help guide you.
Know Who To Call
The City developed a Neighbourhood Response Guide that helps you make the right call at the right time. It covers a range of situations from witnessing vandalism, intoxication and substance use, to property and business concerns, to encampments and needles, and provides tangible steps to increase safety and minimize risk.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Property crime such as thefts from vehicles or thefts from around residential properties are often crimes of opportunity. CPTED is a proven method to reduce actual crime and fear of crime by changing the physical environment. By proactivity applying CPTED principles we can increase the safety of our property and our community.
Advocacy and Engagement
As a concerned citizen, you can help amplify Edmonton's needs and join City Council in advocating for our city by contacting your elected representatives to voice your views. See the advocacy letters the Mayor and Council have been sending here.
Connect With Your Neighbours
Connected communities make residents feel safer in their neighbourhoods. Feeling safe includes providing opportunities for residents to participate in community life and supporting marginalized communities. Whether it is through a block party, community BBQ, or neighbourhood initiative, neighbourliness is the backbone of safe, healthy, thriving communities.
Encouraging Positive Interactions
Encountering people who we are unfamiliar with can cause us to be apprehensive because we may not know what to expect. We can reduce this fear by becoming more familiar with different types of people and learning about people’s experiences.
Personal Safety Strategies
As we travel through our communities there are times we come across unforeseen events that may impact our perceptions of safety. We can also encounter individuals or groups that make us feel uneasy or unsafe. There are strategies you can use to increase your safety and the safety of others.
Importance of Reporting
The Edmonton Police Service cannot address crimes, hotspots, or patterns if they are not notified of the crimes. Typically, when a crime occurs and is left unreported, the frequency and severity of occurrences will increase if they are not dealt with. Reporting crime and disorder, regardless of severity, is vital for the EPS and your community.
Importance of Calling
We all play an important role in keeping our communities safe. Being observant and knowing your neighbours will help you recognize when something seems out of the ordinary. This could include things like an unkept property, suspicious activities like someone trying to open vehicle doors, a vehicle that appears abandoned, or graffiti.
Business Safety
This document is a resource for property owners, business owners and employees to help reduce crime and disorder at your place of work. It can help you design a safety and security plan for your business by applying one or more of the following tips. Implementing some or all of the suggestions, like improving lighting, beautification, maintenance, and visibility may prevent different types of crime and disorder from occurring.
Edmonton Neighbourhood Watch
The Edmonton Neighbourhood Watch Program Society is a not-for-profit, charitable volunteer passive crime prevention organization. ENW ensures neighbourhoods feel safer by educating residents and implementing crime prevention strategies. It is community-based crime prevention for and by the community.
Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN)
Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods is a unit of the Alberta Sheriffs that helps keep communities safe by dealing with problem properties that are being used for specific illegal activity such as: drug trafficking, prostitution, child exploitation, or gang-related crime. If there’s a suspicious property in your neighbourhood, don’t investigate it or approach its residents. You can safely and confidentially report a suspicious property through SCAN.
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