Many Edmontonians do not feel safe after dark, around LRT, shows police survey data
More than a third of Edmontonians — 36 percent of respondents — say they would feel unsafe walking alone in their community after dark, shows new data from the Edmonton Police Service (EPS).
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And almost three-quarters — 72 per cent — say they would feel unsafe taking transit alone after dark.
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The 'What We Are Hearing' findings presented to the Edmonton Police Commission on Thursday reveal room for improvement in public safety.
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'Research participants across all platforms indicate they believe crime rates are increasing and personal safety is decreasing,' said Patricia Misutka, executive director of communications for city police.
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Misutka said when people describe what makes them feel unsafe, increasingly, they're interchanging issues of crime and disorder — but they're showing an understanding of the complexity of all of it.
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'They recognize that issues like homelessness, addiction, mental health crises, and property crime, don't all have simple solutions, and require coordinated responses from multiple agencies,' she said.
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'While they see EPS as having a role in both, they understand these issues are complex, impacted by decisions and other orders of government.'
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Top issues consistently raised include encampments and public drug use, Misutka said.
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'Throughout research discussions, there's sense people are worried about the extent of and duration of these issues,' she said.
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Edmonton's crime and disorder are perceived to be worse than other centres in Canada, and respondents believed that deters people from visiting the city's core.
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The perceptions aren't completely unfounded.
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' Violent crime rates have continued to increase,' Misutka said.
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Focus group results revealed frustration with 'increasingly sticky issues,' Misutka said.
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'People in downtown … have probably the highest level of understanding of the nuances of these issues. People outside of the core have a feeling that they can opt out by avoiding the core,' she said.
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Misutka said some 58 per cent of monthly survey respondents said police should be involved in addressing homelessness.
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In both open houses and focus groups, the topic of repeat offenders come up repeatedly, revealing community frustrations with what people perceive as issues of the justice system, Misutka said.
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According to the snapshot pulled from thousands of Edmontonians surveyed, while respondents continued to express a high willingness to report crime, reasons given for not reporting crime included that reporting might not make a difference, or maybe the report wouldn't be taken seriously — or that it wasn't serious enough to report.
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'They worry a little bit about stigmas of types of crime. So if you're reporting something like trouble with person, they don't always want to report — that sort of thing,' Misutka said.
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While most people believe police are approachable and say they would contact the EPS if they were a victim of crime, reporting rates are low for some crimes in the past 12 months, where 70 per cent of victims reported a personal crime, 58 per cent of victims reported a property crime, and just 39 per cent of victims reported a financial crime.
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As police move toward more virtual investigations to use digital resources while making the most of manpower, there may be some pushback.
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'There was a lot of nostalgia experienced for Community Liaison Officers, and there's understanding that, as we stand out, more programs like virtual investigations, it has to be done, hand in hand with ensuring that customer connection still exists,' Misutka said.
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How police act
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Overall, research participants report positive attitudes towards EPS, that they believe the service is protecting society and citizens to the best of their ability and within the constraints of the system they work in.
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However, there is 'a cognitive dissonance between what people say or their personal experiences' with what they often see in media, which is more critical or negative, Misutka said.
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'Participants are very careful to draw a distinction between the actions of individual police officers versus those of the institution,' she said.
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Just over two-thirds of those surveyed — some 68 per cent of residents — said they support how the police usually act.
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That number is actually higher among people of colour, with almost three-quarters, or 73 per cent, supporting how the police usually act.
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From those attending open houses and public meetings, support is consistent, with individuals concerned for officer well-being and mental health and support systems, and expressions of understanding of what police face on the frontlines.
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There was some criticism levelled at transparency.
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'(Respondents) tend to be more most critical of EPS when it's perceived to be protecting officers and not fully investigating,' Misutka said.
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