Six months ago, members of the Healthy Streets Operations Centre (HSOC) set out to provide a safe space for vulnerable individuals trying to cash their monthly government assistance.

Individuals reported being targeted, intimidated, and robbed not long after leaving the bank and often had no money left for food, rent, or other necessities. Likewise, bank staff reported feeling intimidated and unsafe.

With the mandate to reduce crime and improve community safety in the downtown core, HSOC teams positioned themselves in highly visible locations around the bank and the surrounding neighbourhoods on benefit payment days. 

Almost immediately, the presence of EPS officers and City of Edmonton peace officers deterred criminal activity, and there was a drop in the number of reported personal robberies. 

This not only resulted in individuals feeling safer, but increased community engagement, as City of Edmonton community safety liaisons provided individuals with information on personal safety and referrals to social supports.

During these deployments, EMS paramedics treated numerous individuals on scene and intervened in countless overdoses, which resulted in deferred ambulance calls. 

Police also seized firearms and other weapons, along with drugs and stolen property, from criminals who were arrested while preying on victims in the nearby area. 

“All Edmontonians should be able to feel safe without fear of victimization or violence,” says Staff Sergeant Michael Dreilich with HSOC. “Special thanks to all the team members and partner agencies who are creating safer public spaces for our city’s most vulnerable and the communities they live in.”