Throughout 2010 Downtown Division has developed and implemented Operation “Keep the Lights On” as a means to provide a tailored approach to solving crime in several high crime areas, including Oliver, Jasper Avenue and Alberta Avenue.
The name of the campaign is taken from the practice of turning on all lights of the police car – emergency and search lights – to light up an area and send a strong message of police presence.
The operation basically floods the target area with marked police resources – the Mobile Action Centre Community Station, uniformed members on foot and marked patrol units in full emergency lighting activation mode - and provides public education and crime awareness tips to residents in an effort to help abate the ongoing crime and disorder trends in the neighborhood and lend some much-needed relief to residents from the ongoing crime issues they face.
Keep the Lights On will be deployed for a four day period from September 22 through the 25 in Central McDougall. Officers will be dealing with the everyday issues along the main corridor of 107 Avenue, from approximately 101 Street to 116 Street.
Staff Sergeant Steven Chwok stresses “the increased marked presence provides a strong show of support to the community and sends the message to criminals and law abiding citizens alike, that the EPS takes the crime in the area very seriously. The main focus is visibility and disruption of crime and disorder.”