WATCH ABOVE: Edmonton’s police chief met with media this morning to discuss a number of issues, including the need for more officers. Eric Szeto reports.
EDMONTON — Police Chief Rod Knecht met with media Friday morning and stressed the need for more officers.
Knecht said 300 new officers are needed over the next three years to keep Edmonton safe. However, that’s a tall order from the city’s already cash-strapped budget.
The chief said if the new hires aren’t an option, there are two things that could help free up police resources: a dedicated collision centre and a wellness or mental health centre.
The collision centre would handle the thousands of crashes that happen every year in Edmonton. Knecht said a centre would allow officers to spend less time at crash scenes. He explained other cities have experimented with collision centres, including Lethbridge.
READ MORE: Lethbridge collision centre open for business
“Rather than police officers going to non-injury accidents in the city – we tie up two or three or four police officers doing that, and we go to 24,000 every year in the city – if we cut that in half and we had a collision centre where somebody had a minor fender bender, they go to a collision centre, they fill out the forms, somebody looks at the damage, takes some pictures, maybe a peace officer – or even a police officer there – if there’s been a violation, issues a ticket and everybody goes along their merry way.
“That could put dozens of police officers back on the street.”
City Councillor Tony Caterina praised Knecht for his efforts to find efficiencies in police resources. He added the collision centre is included in the chief’s proposal to City Hall and might be something the city could consider taking over, similar to the photo enforcement program.
“Would this be something else that we as a city could provide the services for that would actually free up his officers to do police work?”
READ MORE: Mental health calls, ER waits tying up Edmonton police, says chief
Knecht has spoken in the past about how police need more support to handle mental health calls appropriately. He echoed the call for support on that front Friday.
“We need a place to take people that shouldn’t be going to jail: the homeless, the addicted, and the mentally ill,” he said.
“We need to take them some place they can get the help they need… and we don’t have that.”
The police chief explained officers sometimes respond to mental health calls involving the same person two to three times a shift. He said the EPS arrests some people 200 times a year.
“That is not a good use of resources and it’s not helping them.”
READ MORE: Alberta’s mental health care services among worst in Canada: NDP
He would like to see a collaboration between EPS, the province and health workers to treat mentally ill Edmontontians.
Knecht said a mental health centre won’t be possible without help from the province. He added it is something he’ll bring up when he meets with the new NDP government in the coming months.
Global Edmonton reporter Eric Szeto was at the media availability with the chief. View highlights he shared on Twitter, as compiled by SAM. Click ‘next’ to view the photos on the map.
Comments