Crime & Justice

Edmonton police credit data-driven strategy for downtown crime drop

The Edmonton Police Service says proactive patrols under its Safer Edmonton initiative are expanding to other parts of the city.

By Priya Anand, Justice Reporter
October 15, 2026

EDMONTON · The Edmonton Police Service says crime severity in the city's downtown core dropped 13.6 per cent in the first nine months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Police attribute the decline partly to a new data-driven strategy called Safer Edmonton, which was launched this spring. Public calls for service downtown fell 7.6 per cent from January to September, while officer-generated calls increased by 42.5 per cent. The service is now expanding the initiative to other areas, including the west end, where violent crime is down 17 per cent. Devin Laforce, EPS's chief of police operations, said the strategy allows officers to be more proactive. "That's fewer victims, fewer people needed to call police, and in exchange for that, we have our police officers being in the right places at the correct times, doing the correct things," Laforce told reporters at a Wednesday news conference. He said the approach relies on data from public calls and from officers on the ground talking to stakeholders, citizens and business owners.

The Safer Edmonton initiative uses technology and data analysis to determine where and when to focus patrols. Insp. Jason Altmiks with the crime management branch said the ability to integrate and analyze data has advanced significantly. "Our ability to integrate and analyze data has never been so advanced as it is today," Altmiks said. The strategy targets specific "crime treatment zones," with police saying people in areas like Stony Plain Road can expect a more visible police presence seven days a week.

Some observers, however, question how new the approach really is. University of Alberta criminology professor Temitope Oriola said it appears to be a repackaging of traditional methods. "I think it's a repackaging of the kinds of steps, the kinds of measures that police organizations have been using for decades," Oriola told CBC News. He cited collecting data, hot spot policing and focusing on high-incident areas as well-established practices. Coun. Mike Elliott, a former Edmonton police officer, voiced a similar view. "While I applaud what they're doing, to me, it is still at the end of the day, old-school policing," Elliott said.

In the west end, Insp. Trevor Bohachyk said the branch has seen a 17 per cent reduction in violent crime this year. He also noted a 17 per cent reduction in personal injuries and collisions, linking it to the new initiative and a pilot aggressive driving unit. Bohachyk pointed to a serious assault at Butler Memorial Park on Sept. 30 as an example where officers' presence helped quickly identify a suspect. He said the strategy is tailored to community needs, with traffic safety being a specific concern in the west end.

Local business representatives have noticed the increased police presence. Todd Janes, executive director of the Stony Plain Road and Area Business Association, said beat patrols have increased from four days a week to seven. "That seven-day-a-week support … and that policing and surveillance is making a difference," Janes said. He noted businesses are still dealing with issues like break-ins, copper wire theft and graffiti, but described them as deeply resilient. Janes added that policing alone is not a complete solution. "I think we can't necessarily police ourselves out of the system. I think it's complicated, and it needs a number of different resources," he said.

The Safer Edmonton strategy also uses data from social media and tools like Zencity and Peregrine. Police said the shift came after seeing other agencies use similar tactics and as policing technology advanced. Chief Warren Driechel said at the strategy's May announcement that it was also a response to the opioid crisis, which had driven disorder on city streets. EPS officials said the expansion to other areas is part of its community policing approach and is being done within existing resources.

With files from CBC News, CityNews and Edmonton Journal