Edmonton city council approves reallocating $5M for more transit peace officers

City council will redirect $5 million to place more transit peace officers at LRT stations throughout Edmonton to try to address social disorder and crime.

Council had asked city administration to further analyze the implications of reallocating portions of the existing, ongoing funding for commissionaires. In a report, administration outlined five options, the default being that council redirect spending for more officers.

But Wednesday's council meeting saw robust debate, after Coun. Anne Stevenson proposed a motion that, if it had passed, would have split funding between deploying more officers and implementing a safety attendant program — another option administration raised that could improve safety and the public's perception of safety.

The program would offer "a consistent presence in stations, a friendly helping hand when needed, and increased cleanliness — which has a huge impact on perception of safety," Stevenson said. 

Over the past several years, council and city administration have focused on transit safety and security through measures like adding more uniformed security, joint deployment and community outreach teams, better cleaning, facility upgrades and esthetic changes like murals and other art.

Edmonton Police Service data shows the average crime severity at LRT stations and transit centres decreased by six per cent last year, although calls for services at those locations rose by 12 per cent. 

A March report from city administration found many Edmontonians still don't feel safe taking transit, despite ridership growing by 15 per cent in 2024.

Commissionaires, who do security work, don't have enforcement authority transit peace officers do, but they can administer naloxone in the event of a drug overdose. Commissionaires reported security incidents at several Capital Line LRT stations — including Central, Churchill and Southgate — and the Kingsway/Royal Alex Station.

In the report, administration suggested redirecting funding to hire 30 more transit peace officers, which would increase the total deployed throughout Edmonton to 126.

During Wednesday's meeting, councillors discussed how officers could be used to address safety and the public's perception of safety. 

Stevenson's motion was defeated 4-8. Some councillors argued that splitting funding between two initiatives would be less effective.

When asked by the city in an online survey in 2024, about 61 per cent of respondents said they felt safe using transit — about the same as in the 2023 survey, which suggested 60 per cent of respondents felt safe.

Coun. Aaron Paquette voted in favour, saying it could address safety immediately.

"It takes time to train [transit peace officers], and it doesn't take as much time for a safety attendant program. So if we want to see some immediate action, that's how we do it," Paquette said.