Community Safety and Policing Update
Safety is a basic need and a human right. We all want to feel safe as we move through our communities, and ensuring your safety will always be a top priority for me.
Recently, we’ve seen some promising trends in Edmonton’s crime rates. In 2024, there was a 6% decrease in total crime and a 3% decrease in violent crime, as compared to 2023. The total crime severity index (CSI) was down by 5% and the violent CSI down by 10%. We need to see this trend continue and crime rates stay down.
While this is good news on paper, crime rates are only one piece of the equation. The perception of safety is an important part of the picture, and I’m hearing from many Edmontonians that they just don’t feel safe.
Policing is a significant part of public safety and of our municipal budget, so I want to discuss the change in police leadership, how we fund the Edmonton Police Service, and what I’m advocating for in our neighbourhoods.
New police chief: A change in leadership
Last September, a new police chief was appointed for the Edmonton Police Service (EPS). In November 2025, Chief Warren Driechel came into command, bringing with him almost 30 years of experience with EPS.
Having worked as a beat cop in Edmonton, Chief Driechel knows the value of building relationships in the community. He has emphasized the importance of community policing, which aligns with feedback from residents.
Chief Driechel has spoken about the need for collaboration between EPS, community groups, social agencies, and all levels of government, in order to address challenges such as addiction and houselessness, both of which are key issues in our city right now.
With a change in leadership, there is opportunity for new perspectives and approaches that can increase safety in our city, and I look forward to seeing how Chief Driechel’s vision translates into action on the ground.
Police funding formula
Let’s kick it off with some clear facts: during my time on Council, the police have never had funds removed from their base budget. The operational budget for the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is currently guided by a funding formula based on inflation and population, to ensure that services continue to meet demand over time, even as we grow.
The formula was approved by Council in 2023, with the goal of predictable service provision and simplicity of implementation. Funding is capped at 30% of total City spending, to ensure that police funding doesn’t outpace spending in other departments. However, this also means that the police funding cap rises as spending in other areas increases.
I know tax increases are a major concern for Edmontonians, and the policing budget is a significant part of City spending. Everything is more expensive these days, and just like our personal experiences, police experience inflationary pressures too. It’s important to balance cost increases with effective policing in a growing city.
While I agree in principle with the funding formula, I remain concerned about the cap, as well as what is excluded in the calculations (e.g., union negotiations), which are additional costs that the City pays. Recent additional expenses include the use of body cameras, and covering the funding shortfall in TASER (automated traffic enforcement), which cost $20 million, both of these were mandated and restricted respectively by the Government of Alberta.
The funding formula will be discussed as part of the four-year budget deliberations this fall. If we continue to use a funding formula, I would like to see a lower funding cap, and I believe the resulting budget should be more inclusive of the total cost of policing.
Service Counter at the Northwest Edmonton Police Station
In March 2021, the Northwest Police Campus opened its doors. It was designed and funded as a multifunctional building to meet Edmonton’s needs for a new training facility, arrest processing unit, and divisional police station. By building one facility instead of three, the City was able to achieve significant cost savings.
When the building opened, the police station opened with it, allowing residents to access a service counter for non-emergency matters and administration. However, the service counter was later shut down under the former Edmonton police chief, who cited operational reallocation and demand.
As the service counter was part of the business case for the building and for funding the facility as it is, I am continuing to advocate to the police commission and EPS leadership for its reopening, so that community members in North Edmonton can access services close to home.
EPS Tow Lot
The current EPS tow lot, a necessary resource, is shrinking in its capacity to serve Edmontonians efficiently. Its present location is small for the growing need, and is located within an established neighbourhood. This poses problems for community members and EPS alike.
No one loves to see a high volume of tow vehicles commuting in and around a neighbourhood park in order to facilitate their work. And in turn, the limited capacity of the lot is frustrating from an EPS standpoint, as the geographical limitations hinder abilities to address problems, such as abandoned vehicles.
I'd like to see the relocation of this lot to a bigger area, and for the topic to be brought forward by the Police Commission in their upcoming capital plan. In my opinion, this would allow EPS to serve the needs of Edmontonians more efficiently, resulting in huge wins for public safety, EPS, and the community as a whole, for relatively minimal capital costs.
What do you think?
When it comes to safety and policing in Edmonton, what are your thoughts? I want to hear from you about your perspectives on safety in our communities, as well as what you think about the current funding formula. Is it working? What might you change about it? Your voice matters to me, and I am committed to ensuring that your safety continues to be a top priority for the City.
To read more of my thoughts from previous blogs: https://www.erinrutherford.ca/citycouncilandedmontonpolicecommission
