Calgary Police had a ‘tumultuous’ year in 2021: chief

Calgary's police chief said continued impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in violent crime and staffing issues contributed to a decline in employee morale in 2021.

Calgary Police Service Chief Mark Neufeld said 2021 will go down as a “tumultuous” year in the history books, as he and the force’s senior leadership delivered their annual report to a city committee on Thursday.

The city’s community development committee heard the police service faced many challenges over the last year, which began with the death of Sgt. Andrew Harnett.

According to Neufeld, continued impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, a rise in violent crime, staffing issues and a heavier workload contributed to a significant decline in employee morale in 2021.

“We really saw things start to turn back to pre-pandemic levels at a time when we had a tired and frustrated workforce,” Neufeld said.

“Notwithstanding the challenges that we navigated during that period of time, our folks stepped up in ways with grit and determination to continue to deliver those services.”

Although crime and calls for service trended below the five-year average in Calgary, the police service noted increases in reports of disorder and firearm related crime, which increased 29 per cent over 2020.

Commercial robberies also reached a six-year high with pharmacies, cannabis and cell phone stores reported as key targets.

“That involved young people, and we really need to put some focus there along with community to make sure we’re trying to keep people away from those types of crimes,” Neufeld said.