Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has told Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis to work with partners to create a new provincial DNA lab..On Monday, with an apparent focus on crime reduction, Smith issued a mandate letter to Ellis calling on him to work to keep Alberta families and communities safe..Also, it appears some criminals out on bail are about to be tracked..Smith also wants Ellis to implement, with sheriffs, a modern ankle bracelet monitoring program and enhanced 24-hour bail monitoring of violent and sexual offenders..In her letter, Smith outlined her expectation for "safe streets in Alberta, unlike what is seen in jurisdictions such as Vancouver, Portland or San Francisco.".Smith wrote in the letter the government’s top priority was ensuring the protection of Albertans and keeping communities safe and asked Minister Ellis to deliver on platform commitments to support Albertans, including:.Immediately implementing the Safe Streets Action Plan, including adding at least 100 new patrol officers for Calgary and Edmonton and assessing whether more officers are needed.Creating specialized sheriff-led anti-fentanyl and illegal gun trafficking teams, including at the Canada-US border.Expanding the provincial cybercrime units.Exploring opportunities for continued sheriff deployment in Edmonton, Calgary and other communities to assist with patrols and street-level law enforcement.Increasing support for Internet and Child Exploitation Teams..Smith will also try to reduce catalytic converter theft in the province by directing Ellis to create additional Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team Gang Suppression Units..The increase in these units will mean more monitoring of scrap metal dealers and gang connections to reduce thefts..“Our government has a top priority to bring back the safety that every community, family and individual deserves," Ellis said.."We cannot afford to be soft on crime, nor can we allow repeat violent criminal offenders out on bail. Albertans have the right to feel safe, no matter where they live or work.”.READ MORE: EPS says violent crime rate in Edmonton continues to increase.The City of Edmonton’s total crime rate increased by 8% between 2021 and 2022..Meanwhile, police-reported crime in Canada, as measured by the Crime Severity Index (CSI), increased for the second consecutive year, up 4% in 2022 overall..Last week’s release of crime statistics shows Edmonton maintained a consistent ranking in the majority of the comparative crime statistics categories from 2021 to 2022..Statistics Canada released its annual Police-reported Crime Statistics in Canada report on Thursday..The report shows some common concerns across Canada, including increases in the national crime rate, crime severity, violent crime rate and violent crime severity.As seen in the 2022 report, and year-to-date 2023 data tracked by the Edmonton Police Service, the violent crime rate in Edmonton continues to increase, with assault being the primary driver.“The 2022 Statistics Canada report shows that Edmonton has remained steady in its ranking across many categories,” said Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee.
