![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/Laforce-.png\")
\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\nEdmonton police say their shift to focus on more crime hotspots in the city is working, in places like downtown or in the west end.<\/p>\n
The Edmonton Police Service says people should expect to see more visible police presence through the city, with proactive patrols now seven days a week.<\/p>\n
The EPS is expanding the Safer Edmonton program to more of what they call \u201ccrime treatment zones,\u201d including downtown and around Stony Plain Road.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been fewer calls. That\u2019s fewer victims, fewer people needing to call police,\u201d said EPS\u2019 police operations chief Devin Laforce.<\/p>\n
Edmonton Police shared results for the downtown zone: a 13 per cent drop in crime severity from January to September compared to 2025. And police officers generated 42 per cent more of their own reports by being proactive.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re also seeing improvements in disorder-related activity, which remains one of the most common concerns raised by our communities,\u201d Laforce said.<\/p>\n
So how does proactive policing work, exactly? Authorities hone in on specific areas where a lot of calls and complaints come in at a certain time. They then send the officers to that specific location at that time when they think crime is happening.<\/p>\n
Todd Janes, head of the Stony Plain Road Business Association, says he\u2019s noticing crimes are changing as police shift their approach. He says he\u2019s been hearing from businesses about more break and enters, graffiti, and copper wire thefts from new buildings under construction, and even city lampposts.<\/p>\n
Edmonton police say they\u2019re expanding the crime treatment zones across the city within their current resources.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\tEdmonton police operations chief Devin Laforce speaking to reporters on Oct. 14, 2026. (CityNews) <\/p>\n
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