Mayoral candidate Jeromy Farkas is promising to reopen Calgary’s downtown police station and crack down on the city’s most dangerous repeat violent offenders as part of a sweeping new safety platform unveiled Tuesday.In a policy document titled Built for Belonging: A vision for a safer Calgary, Farkas outlines 25 commitments to address public safety, including bolstering community policing, restoring mental health supports, and launching a mayor-led task force to protect city workers and first responders.“Safety is the foundation for everything in a city. Without it, people lose trust — in transit, in public spaces, and in each other,” Farkas said. “We need visible leadership, strong enforcement, and real compassion to address the root causes of crime. This plan delivers on all three.”A former Calgary Police Commissioner and city councillor, Farkas said the reopening of the downtown police station would improve visibility and response times. He also pledged to work with the province to pursue Calgary’s top 100 repeat violent offenders and expand foot and bike patrols to rebuild trust in communities.Other commitments include restoring Housing First supports for mental health and addictions, and creating a Mayor’s Workplace Safety Task Force focused on protecting municipal staff and emergency personnel.Farkas said the debate over enforcement versus prevention is a false one.“We can’t police our way out of every problem. But we also can’t accept a system where people with dozens of violent charges are back on the streets,” he said. “We need to send a clear message: Calgary is a place of opportunity, not impunity.”As Calgary faces rapid growth — possibly by 1 million people in the next decade — Farkas said the city must choose between long-term solutions and what he called costly, reactive measures that leave too many behind.Drawing on his own upbringing in East Calgary, Farkas highlighted the value of early intervention. “Prevention works. Mentorship, mental health support, and safe public spaces make a difference. But they only work when we pair them with action and accountability.”
