Police and police commissioners in Edmonton are celebrating a significant drop in violence at LRT stations and transit centres.
The number of reported violent incidents is down 21 per cent in the first half of this year, compared to the same timeframe in 2023.
That’s according to new statistics presented at Thursday’s Edmonton Police Commission meeting.
“It’s a positive trend and I think we need to celebrate that,” police chief Dale McFee told reporters afterward.
“That’s something that tends to get a bit busier in the winter, so we have to be cognizant of that.”
The latest month presented, June, had 38 violent crimes reported in transit centres and LRT stations. That’s down from 56 in June 2023 and 73 in Jan. 2023.
According to Edmonton Police Service, assault, robbery and assaulting peace officer calls are each down roughly 20 per cent on transit.
The issue of transit violence received major attention and investment from politicians after a number of high-profile attacks in 2022 and early 2023.
“The province has invested 50 police officers to help, the service has been working diligently to do their duty to keep it safer and the peace officers that the City has provided also helps keep law and order,” commission chair John McDougall told CityNews.
“Seeing the numbers drop is very good news. We have so many people in this city who rely on public transit…if the citizens of this city feel safer on transit, that’s a boon to the service, it’s a boon to the city.”
EPS says arrests are up in transit, including for calls about drugs and bylaw complaints, but overall, crime is down in Edmonton transit centres by 10 per cent.
Across Edmonton, crime was down 14 per cent in 2023 from the year before and violent crime was down 2 per cent.
“One incident, or one individual with any kind of serious violence, is too many,” McFee said.
“So, I don’t think we’re close to where we want to be in relation to transit, but I think we’re getting better.”
In a split vote, the police commission also decided Thursday to develop a new public engagement policy.
Commissioners are still meeting virtually, citing safety concerns, but McDougall said that will be reviewed next month.