Edmonton’s Actions on Downtown and Transit Safety

I appreciate Premier Smith and Minister Ellis’s concern on downtown safety and we look forward to the recommendations from their Edmonton public safety and community task force.

While we recognize that tackling houselessness, mental health and addictions crisis is primarily a provincial responsibility, we have been playing our part because the safety of Edmontonians has been a top priority for myself and our City Council since taking office. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic caused an increase in social disorder in downtowns across North America, and your City Council is working hard to address this issue. This issue is further compounded by the fact that Edmonton acts as a hub for social services for the Edmonton region and northern Alberta.

To improve public safety, we have increased funding to the Edmonton Police Service by $7 million for 2023 and transferred them $22.3 million to make up for the provincial government’s reduction to Traffic Safety Automated Enforcement Revenue, provided $15.2 million to the Healthy Streets Operation Centre for 2023 and 2024, provided $3.9 million to the Transit Safety Plan, provided funding to increase cleaning in the downtown core as well as increase the number of police officer and peace officers presence in the area and increased coordination between City and social service agencies. In Budget 2023–2026, we reaffirmed our commitment to safety by providing $10.8 million to 24/7 Crisis Diversion and $13.5 million to Transit Safety.

Last summer, we shared Edmonton’s Downtown Core and Transit System Safety Plan with the provincial government highlighting all of the work the City of Edmonton already had underway when this plan was requested by Minister Shandro.

There are solutions that we identified to the provincial government through our Safety Plan. If our provincial government implements those solutions, we will see an immediate improvement in public safety in Edmonton.

Our asks for the provincial government include:

• Increase its contribution to the Edmonton Police Service to match their funding with inflation and population growth.
• Restore $13 million in police funding that the province of Alberta reduced by taking a larger share of traffic enforcement revenues and charging EPS for DNA testing.
• Immediately open more harm reduction, detox, treatment and recovery beds to tackle the drug poisoning crisis.
• Edmonton has 1/3 of permanently funded 24/7 shelters compared to Calgary. We ask that the provincial government provide Edmonton with the same level of support.
• Step up to improve emergency shelter conditions (provide additional funding to shelter providers to implement the City’s Minimum Emergency Shelter Standards.)
• Provide $18 million per year for 70–100 bridge housing units to help transition people from shelters into supportive housing.
• Provide increased capital and operating funds to develop an additional 550 units of supportive housing that will expand recovery-oriented care opportunities in Edmonton.

We know that there is more that can be done to address the issues that Edmonton and other major urban centres in North America are facing, and we are open to solutions. Our City Council and administration, in collaboration with community leaders, businesses and other orders of governments have the tools to create a safe Edmonton for all for us, and I just ask that we implement every one that we have, together.

To learn more about Mayor Sohi’s advocacy, visit www.mayorsohi.ca/advocacy.