‘Potential recipe for plenty of trouble:’ southwest Edmonton traffic a concern for police

WATCH ABOVE: The population explosion in southwest Edmonton is causing some major problems on the road. Kent Morrison explains.

EDMONTON – The growing number of people moving to southwest Edmonton has led to big traffic issues in that section of the city.

“Without a doubt, citizens continue to tell police that their number-one concern is traffic-related issues,” said Insp. Steven Chwok, Edmonton Police Service.

So far this year, Edmonton police’s Southwest Division has received close to 500 traffic complaints, which is the highest in the city. Last year, it received 744 complaints, also the most in the city, which was 26 per cent of all calls to police.

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In an effort to combat the issue, three new traffic patrol officers will be on the streets of southwest Edmonton starting Thursday.

“This isn’t simply about enforcement. We’re hopeful these new positions will help to increase safety and awareness on roadways throughout this section of the city,” said Chwok.

Police are also concerned that the southwest has the highest concentration of schools in the city, which combined with increased traffic, puts kids at risk.

“As any parent can attest, the roadways around schools are becoming increasingly difficult to navigate due to the volume of traffic flow through these areas,” said Const. Andre Paul.