Together for Public Safety

The issue

Rapid population growth, increasing service complexity, aging infrastructure, inflation and external policy decisions continue to drive demand for policing services in Calgary. Short‑term or unpredictable funding creates operational risk and limits long‑range planning.

Public safety context

Predictable and transparent funding models support workforce planning, modernization and accountability, while ensuring services keep pace with growth.

How this work is taking shape

Over time, Calgary’s population growth, increasing service complexity and inflationary pressures have outpaced our resources. While demand for visible, responsive and proactive policing has continued to grow, funding has not consistently kept pace with the scale and cost of delivering modern police services. As a result, we have focused on managing risk and maintaining service levels while working to close that gap.

In response, we have taken a disciplined approach to stewardship and efficiency. This has included streamlining frontline deployment, modernizing service delivery models, improving reporting options for Calgarians and reassessing how work is distributed across sworn and civilian roles. These changes have helped save time, reduce duplication and make better use of existing resources.

This is reflected in the recommended 2027–2030 Business Plan and Budget, which focuses on sustaining core policing services, restoring capacity where pressures have accumulated and ensuring resources align with Calgary’s continued growth. We are actively engaging with the Calgary Police Commission and City Council to share operational context, financial analysis and service impacts as part of the budget process. These discussions will inform Council deliberations later this year, with a final decision on the police budget in November.

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The issue

Traffic fatalities and serious‑injury collisions remain a significant public safety concern. Speeding and distracted driving are leading contributors.

Public safety context

A comprehensive traffic safety approach combines education, engineering, enforcement and legislation. Modern traffic laws are evidence‑based tools that reduce collisions, protect road users and limit risk to officers conducting enforcement.

Key statistics 

• In 2025, there were 38 fatal collisions in Calgary, the highest number of fatal collisions Calgary has seen since 2013.
• Approximately 40 per cent of last year’s fatal collisions involved unsafe speed.
• Individuals speeding at 50 km/h or more over the limit represent roughly 1-1.5 per cent of ticketed drivers, yet continue to account for a disproportionate share of fatal collisions. 
• The risk to public safety from speeding has been shown to be comparable to impaired driving.
• Community demand for speed enforcement continues to rise, with more than 1,800 traffic safety requests addressed in 2025.
• Research consistently shows that swift and certain penalties are far more effective at changing behaviour than penalties imposed weeks or months after the offence.
• Speed-on-green enforcement targets a small group of high-risk drivers (roughly 0.05 per cent of vehicles) yet has reduced total collisions by nearly 50 per cent and serious-injury and fatal collisions by more than 53 per cent at those intersections.
• At Calgary’s top automated traffic enforcement locations, total collisions have fallen more than 55 per cent and injury collisions more than 64 per cent since deployment, even as population and traffic volumes increased.

How this work is taking shape

Traffic safety work in Calgary is guided by detailed collision analysis, speed data and risk indicators to identify locations and behaviours associated with serious injury and fatalities. Within the current provincial framework, we have focused on developing evidence‑based business cases for exemptions where automated tools are justified by demonstrated safety risk.

This work is closely coordinated with municipal and provincial partners, transportation and mobility experts and policing organizations to ensure traffic safety approaches are consistent, transparent, and grounded in outcomes. Alongside automated enforcement, efforts include targeted officer‑based enforcement, public education and alignment with roadway design and mobility initiatives, recognizing that lasting improvements require a combination of tools rather than a single solution.

The issue

Police face increasing exposure to trauma, violence, and complex social crises related to mental health, addiction, and homelessness. These pressures affect well‑being, retention and organizational resilience.

Public safety context

A healthy, supported workforce is essential to effective service delivery and community safety.

Key statistics 

Calls involving mental health crises, addiction, homelessness and vulnerable populations continue to place sustained emotional and psychological demands on frontline members. Approximately one in five CPS officers are on leave or working modified duties due to job‑related injuries, occupational stress and other medical or personal factors.

How this work is taking shape

Member wellness is increasingly being approached as a core component of operational sustainability rather than a standalone support function. As policing environments become more complex, with growing exposure to trauma, violence and social‑crisis response, wellness considerations are now integrated into workforce planning, service delivery and organizational decision‑making.

Our current efforts focus on strengthening both proactive and responsive supports for all members. This includes expanding access to psychological services, peer support programs and early intervention approaches that help identify and address challenges early. At the same time, wellness is being considered in how work is structured, including workload distribution, staffing levels and opportunities for recovery and development.

Planning also reflects the connection between workforce capacity and member well‑being. As demand continues to grow, there is an increased focus on ensuring that staffing, training and operational models support sustainable workloads and reduce cumulative stress. This includes aligning roles across all positions to ensure we are all working within our areas of expertise, while maintaining the flexibility required to respond to evolving public safety needs.

Together, these approaches recognize that supporting member health and resilience is essential to maintaining consistent, effective service for the community over the long term.

The issue

Population growth, evolving crime complexity and competitive labour markets continue to impact recruitment and retention across policing services.

Public safety context

Modern recruitment standards, training capacity and predictable staffing levels support timely response, investigative capacity, and proactive policing.

Key statistics 

Cop-to-pop ratio

One measure of police capacity is the “cop-to-pop” ratio, which is how many police officers a city has in comparison to the number of residents.

• Calgary: 144 officers per 100,000 residents
• National average: 178 officers per 100,000 residents

Proactive vs. reactive policing time

Reactive policing means responding to emergencies and calls for service. Proactive policing includes crime prevention, traffic safety, investigative follow‑up, warrants and community engagement.

• Today: 58% reactive | 20% proactive
• By 2030, if approved by Council: 44% reactive | 34% proactive

Recruitment

If approved by Council, we are planning to recruit approximately 660 officers over four years, including about 300 net new positions, to respond to population growth and service demand.

How this work is taking shape

Recruitment and workforce planning at the CPS are evolving in response to sustained population growth, increasing service demand and the changing nature of policing work. As crime becomes more complex and specialized, attracting and supporting a workforce with the necessary skills, experience and diversity requires a more comprehensive and forward‑looking approach.

Current efforts focus on strengthening recruitment capacity while modernizing how candidates are identified, assessed and trained. This includes expanding outreach efforts, improving the applicant experience and aligning recruitment processes with contemporary labour market realities to ensure we can attract qualified candidates in a competitive environment.

Workforce planning also emphasizes the balance between sworn officers and civilian professionals. By aligning roles with specific skill sets, we are working to ensure that sworn members remain focused on frontline and investigative duties, while civilian specialists support technical, analytical and administrative functions. This approach supports more efficient use of resources and helps adapt the workforce to the growing complexity of policing.

At the same time, training and development capacity are being strengthened to support both new recruits and existing members. This includes ongoing investment in skills development, leadership training, and specialized competencies required for modern policing environments.

Together, these efforts reflect a longer‑term approach to workforce sustainability, ensuring that staffing models, training systems, and operational needs remain aligned as Calgary continues to grow.

These considerations are being brought forward through our 2027–2030 Business Plan and Budget, with ongoing engagement with the Calgary Police Commission and City Council to provide context on workforce needs, capacity and long‑term sustainability. These discussions will inform Council deliberations later this year, with a decision on the Police budget expected in November.

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The issue

Open-air drug use and related disorder affect perceptions of safety, particularly downtown and near transit. Police are often the default responder to complex health and social challenges.

Public safety context

Effective responses rely on real‑time coordination between enforcement, health, housing and social services, aligned with operational realities beyond standard business hours.

Key Statistics

• In 2025, Calgary was at a six-year high for violence downtown, representing a 20 per cent increase over the five-year average.
• Unwanted guests, disturbances, indecent acts and drug calls for service account for roughly 75 per cent of disorder calls in 2025 in the city centre.

How this work is taking shape

Efforts to address public disorder and substance use in Calgary focus on coordinated, multi‑agency approaches that combine enforcement with real‑time access to health, social and outreach supports. Police are frequently the first point of contact in situations involving individuals experiencing addiction, mental health challenges or housing instability, and responses increasingly reflect the need to connect individuals with appropriate services alongside addressing immediate safety concerns.

Integrated models bring together police, transit safety, bylaw and social service providers to respond to high-need areas in a coordinated way. CPS Community Engagement Response Teams focus on targeted enforcement, visible presence and direct engagement with vulnerable individuals, while facilitating connections to housing, treatment, identification services and other supports in the moment.

Operational experience has shown that enforcement alone has limited long‑term impact when underlying social and health needs are not addressed. As a result, there is an increased focus on improving access to services beyond standard business hours, reducing barriers to care and embedding outreach and clinical supports alongside police response. This includes working with community partners to expand mobile and on‑site supports, improve information sharing, and ensure resources are available where and when they are needed.

At the same time, continued collaboration with the Calgary Police Commission, City partners, and provincial agencies is informing how these integrated approaches can be stabilized and sustained over time. This includes aligning operational models, service availability and funding considerations to support consistent, city‑wide responses that improve safety while reducing reliance on police as the default responder to complex social issues.

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The issue

Calgary, like many jurisdictions, is experiencing increasing complexity related to youth behaviour, aggression, and violence in school environments. These challenges often reflect broader underlying issues including mental health needs, family stressors, social disconnection, and developmental impacts following the COVID‑19 pandemic. While most incidents do not involve criminal behaviour, schools and police are increasingly called upon to respond to threats, violence‑related concerns, and high‑risk behavioural incidents that extend beyond traditional education or enforcement roles.

Public safety context

Prevention‑focused, collaborative models that integrate education, health, social services and policing reduce long‑term harm.

Key statistics 

• Over the five-year average, youth crime in total has risen 22.9 per cent, which includes a rise of 13 per cent from 2024 to 2025
• Violent youth crime has risen 25 per cent over the last five years, increasing 8 per cent from 2024 to 2025.
• With the increase in youth crime, we are also seeing an increase in youth victimization, which has increased 29 per cent over the five-year average.

How this work is taking shape

In response to the increasing trend in youth involvement in both crime and victimization, we are advancing a multi‑pronged Youth Crime and Safety Strategy designed to:

• Align frontline efforts, community partnerships and offender management strategies.
• Map all youth programs, services and formal partnerships to identify gaps and opportunities.
• Bring partners together to connect resources and strengthen existing services.
• This work is grounded in prevention, early identification and coordinated support ensuring youth have pathways away from harm and toward stability.

We continue to meet with community partners to refine this strategy and ensure it reflects the needs and realities of Calgary’s youth.

The Government of Alberta has also recognized these pressures through the creation of the Aggression and Complexity in Schools Action Team, signaling a system‑level need to better integrate education, health, social supports and policing.

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The issue

Cyber‑enabled crime continues to grow in scale and sophistication, affecting individuals, businesses and public institutions.

Public safety context

Effective responses depend on coordination across jurisdictions, sectors, and technical expertise beyond municipal policing alone.

Key statistics 

• Cyber‑enabled crime is significantly underreported. It is estimated that only 5–10 per cent of cybercrime and fraud incidents are reported to police, limiting visibility into the full scale of the issue.
• Virtually all major investigations now involve some form of digital evidence, even when the crime occurs offline, reflecting the growing role of technology in all types of crime.

How this work is taking shape

Efforts to address cyber‑enabled crime in Calgary are evolving in response to rapid technological change, increasing criminal sophistication and the borderless nature of digital activity. While cybercrime often presents through local impacts, including fraud, identity theft, extortion and online exploitation, effective responses depend on coordination across jurisdictions, sectors and areas of expertise.

Current work focuses on strengthening specialized investigative capacity while integrating cyber capability across the broader Service. Dedicated cyber and digital forensic units support complex investigations, while frontline members increasingly require the skills and tools to identify, preserve and act on digital evidence that is now present in many types of crime.

Given the cross‑jurisdictional nature of cybercrime, collaboration is a central component of this work. We regularly work with provincial and federal agencies, law enforcement partners across Canada and internationally, and private‑sector and financial institutions to share information, coordinate investigations and respond to emerging threats. These partnerships are essential to navigating differences in legal frameworks, accessing digital evidence and identifying offenders operating across borders.

At the same time, early discussions are underway with provincial partners and industry stakeholders to explore more coordinated approaches to cyber‑enabled crime at a systems level. This includes consideration of governance models, shared capabilities and integrated structures that can support consistent, scalable responses while recognizing the importance of clearly defined roles across organizations. These conversations are focused on ensuring that future approaches are aligned, sustainable and reflective of the increasingly interconnected nature of cybercrime.