Calgary safety panel calls for return of downtown police station

A panel set up by Mayor Jyoti Gondek last year has come up with its first recommendations aimed at making downtown Calgary a safer place.

Gondek announced the creation of the Downtown Safety Leadership Table last July amidst growing concerns about social disorder in the city's core.

On Thursday, the co-chairs of the group laid out thefirst three recommendations.

They are:

• Have co-ordinated, specialized outreach teams on the street 24 hours a day, sevendays a week.
• Work towarda downtown police station which will enhance police presence in the core.
• Immediate funding for housing and specialized facilities for people struggling with mental health and addictions issues.

One of the co-chairs, Mark Garner, who is also the head of the Calgary Downtown Association, said members of the panel have met with more than 40 community stakeholders.

While the group's work is ongoing, he said they wanted to present some initial recommendations.

More outreach

Co-chair Heather Morley, who is also the executive director of Inn from the Cold, which helps homeless families in Calgary, said there are a number of outreach teams working on the streets.

But what the leadership table found is that there's a desire to have that assistance available at all hours of the day and night.

"There are some outreach teams currently in existence, but I think what we know from best practices from other jurisdictions is that has to be a 24/7," said Morley.

She suggested there needs to be better co-ordination among helping agencies and that outreach needs to be partnered with the police, as sometimesa uniformed presence is required.

In other instances, she said, an experienced social worker rather than a police officer can be the best solution.

Police station needed

The panel also found there issupport for the return of a downtown police station.

The last district station in the core was in Victoria Park, but it was closed in 2017.

The Calgary Police Service does have a downtown safety hub, which opened on Stephen Avenue in 2021. The space gives the police as well as peace officers from Calgary Transit and the City of Calgary a place to collaborate, write reports and store equipment.

But what Garner said is needed is a place where the public can go to report crimes and other concerns to the police. A downtown police station would also put more officers in greater circulation in the core.

He said they know given the capital expense, a station is possibly three to five years away.

"You've got to determine location. Have we got city property? You know all those things will come up. But I think from the table, it's to initiate the need is there and start the work now," said Garner.

Greater supports

As well, the panel suggested there's a need for housing and specialized facilities to handle the most complex and most vulnerable cases of people who are suffering from mental health and addictions issues.

Morley said neither homeless shelters nor the streets are the solution to help these individuals who clearly are falling through the cracks of the supports that already exist.

"We've got to be better about eliminating those cracks, and one of them is increased housing and services."

Mayor Gondek was out of town on Thursday but her office issued a statement regarding the recommendations.

In it, she stated that she welcomed the initial recommendations.

"Taken together, they provide tangible and meaningful first steps that can be built upon to improve the downtown experience for all," said Gondek.

The group plans to continue its consultations and intends to have a draft report with a full list of recommendations prepared in February.

Garner said a final report will go to the mayor in March.