Alberta Sheriffs will reinforce Calgary police patrols in high-crime areas as part of an initiative created by the UCP government’s Calgary Public Safety and Community Response Task Force..A 12-week pilot partnership between the Alberta Sheriffs and the Calgary Police Service (CPS) will begin late February to help deter and respond to crime and social disorder in the city..The addition of 12 Alberta Sheriffs will allow existing CPS beat and bike teams to increase their visible presence in the inner-city neighbourhoods where they operate, as well as provide officers with more opportunities to respond to community concerns, help and keep communities safe while treating mental health and addiction as health care issues..“People in Calgary deserve to feel safe in their homes and in the places where they work and visit," Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis said.."This initiative increases public safety by putting more eyes and ears in neighbourhoods where they’re needed and creates a more visible officer presence that will help deter crime while connecting vulnerable Albertans to the supports they need. As the Calgary task force continues its work to make Calgary safer, it will be vital to continue to explore partnerships and collaborations as a way of addressing complex and related issues like crime, homelessness, addiction and mental health.”.The dozen sheriffs assigned to work with the CPS beat teams will be deployed in the downtown core. CPS will use data to identify crime and social disorder hotspots where teams will focus their patrols..While officers will respond to criminal activity when needed, the goal of the CPS beat and bike teams is to increase community safety by preventing crime and using alternatives to enforcement when possible. This could mean proactively engaging with people in a neighbourhood to identify safety concerns or referring people in crisis to a community agency that could help them..“Through many conversations with Calgarians and the business community, we have clearly heard the need to take further action around public safety," City of Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said."We appreciate the province's short-term support to reinforce Calgary Police Service efforts in our city centre. These additional resources will help connect people to the services they require, creating a safer, more supportive environment for all.”.Addiction, homelessness and public safety issues have affected every community in Alberta, with Edmonton being especially hard hit as residents cried out on social media for leaders to address the issues. Now, Calgary will also get help from the UCP..In December 2022, the UCP established two cabinet task forces to bring community partners together to address the issues of addiction, homelessness and public safety in Calgary and Edmonton..READ MORE: UCP task force will tackle Calgary's social disorder.The two Public Safety and Community Response Task Forces are responsible for implementing $187 million in provincial funding to further build out a recovery-oriented system of addiction and mental health care..The UCP claimed the initiatives being implemented are part of a fair, firm and compassionate approach to keeping communities safe while treating addiction and mental health as health-care issues. In recent months, some say the homeless and drug addicts have taken over the Edmonton LRT system, and caused complete disorder and apparent confusion..READ MORE: UCP deploys sheriffs to downtown Edmonton to try and stop public disorder.The UCP have also deployed sheriffs in Edmonton to help get a grasp on the social disorder. Sheriffs’ participation in the pilot project is covered by the organization’s existing budget..The sheriffs’ deployment is scheduled to start February 27 and finish on May 31. The sheriffs and Calgary police will then evaluate the project before deciding on any next steps..“Like officers in other agencies, members of the Alberta Sheriffs chose a career in law enforcement out of a desire to serve and protect the community," Chief of Alberta Sheriffs Farooq Sheikh said.."We welcome and embrace this opportunity to work alongside our partners at the Calgary Police Service, and we hope to bring a reassuring and visible presence to people in the city.”.Albertans struggling with opioid addiction can contact the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP) by calling 1-844-383-7688, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m or call 211 for help.
