'Different feel': Edmonton police open houses offer casual way to talk crime

Calgary Herald

4 days ago

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For Edmontonians daunted by the prospects of Downtown parking and Robert's Rules of Order and formal agendas, there was a new and casual local way to take in the 2024 annual report of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS).
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'It's such an interesting take on what we normally do through town halls,' said LaForce.
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'Some are very big on traffic safety, some on neighborhood policing concepts. Some on like, how do I protect myself for financial crime? We actually had several people wanting to join and become a recruit.'
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In the pre-COVID era, a big police town hall event drew hundreds, assembly-style, often to listen on a specific topic, he said.
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'This is just a very different feel, because you're able to deal with so many questions that are unique to those people, those personal interests, all at once.'
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'A presence'
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The West Edmonton Business Association has been vocal about concern with crime in the 149 Street area— property damage and general social disorder — so a west end open house gave him a forum to get some answers for the organization, said Basil Kirby, the group's director of advocacy.
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'We thought we could just see what was being done, what programs were ongoing,' he said.
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Some of the figures in the 2024 annual report released in pamphlet form at the open houses were a surprise to Kirby, who learned nearly a million emergency calls were made in Edmonton last year, and police were physically dispatched almost 200,000 times a year.
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'They identify where the illegal activities are, and they'll send units out to that area to just patrol, just be a presence, and they know that that will reduce crime for a minimum of four hours,' he said, adding that those concerned that the police don't seem to come out for each call will be relieved to learn about EPS 'virtual policing,' where crime assessments are triaged virtually, weighed and responded to accordingly.