Alberta Sends in Sheriffs to Tackle ‘Social Disorder’ in Downtown Edmonton

A file photo of an Alberta sheriff's car in Edmonton on Sept. 22, 2012. (Ian Jackson/The Canadian Press)

Alberta announced on Wednesday that it would send Alberta Sheriffs to help the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) “deter and respond to crime and social disorder.”

Earlier this week, Premier Danielle Smith and Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis retweeted pictures of a bus reportedly destroyed by a man high on meth. Other pictures and videos have circulated on social media of needles left in public places in Edmonton and of a homeless man making a fire inside a bus shelter.

Deploying the sheriffs will allow police to expand patrols to seven days a week, up from the current five, and to expand their reach. The sheriffs will be there for 15 weeks as part of a pilot partnership, beginning late February.

The pilot comes in addition the new Edmonton Public Safety and Community Response Task Force, which was announced in December. That interagency taskforce coordinates police efforts with various local and provincial agencies. It comes with the construction of a new hybrid health and police hub, as well as various addiction recovery spaces and programs.

“Open-air drug use cannot be tolerated,” said Mike Ellis, minister of public safety and emergency services, at the December announcement. “The police have to be at the center of this.“ He said on Wednesday, ”A larger officer presence is a direct request from EPS, Chinatown, and other downtown organizations.”

Minister of Mental Health and Addiction Nicholas Milliken said in a release, “As we continue to implement recovery-oriented systems of care, we truly value having Edmonton Police Service and Alberta Sheriffs working together to support some of our most vulnerable citizens.”

Twelve sheriffs will be temporarily reassigned to help in Edmonton’s inner-city neighbourhoods. Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee said at the announcement that he only requested a dozen sheriffs because it’s the right amount to test how this partnership works logistically while also allowing for an expansion to almost 24/7 patrol coverage.

Ellis said that the community had primarily requested a more visible presence of officers.

The government said in a release, “While officers can respond to criminal activity when needed, multi-disciplinary teams help increase community safety by addressing community concerns and preventing crime in ways that don’t necessarily involve enforcement.”

Alberta Sheriffs Chief Farooq Sheikh said in the release that the sheriffs’ will “engage with the community and help bring a reassuring and visible presence to people in Edmonton.”