Report for Community Services Committee October 7, 2002 Meeting

Report for Community Services Committee October 7, 2002 Meeting

Attachment 1J

EDMONTON POLICE SERVICE - BUDGET IMPACT

REGIONAL POLICING DEMANDS

Description of Service:

The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) provides policing services to the City of Edmonton. Because the city is in close proximity of other centers, the EPS often provides services to, or deals with incidents requiring police action involving persons who live within the Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA), but outside the city limits. These "regional” service costs are borne by the residents of the City of Edmonton.

Why does the E.P.S. provide this Service (legislated, policy, tradition):

Legislated required as part of delivering policing services within the City of Edmonton.

Resource Implications:

1997 Figures:

  • 11,676 files generated from those residing within Edmonton C.M.A., but outside the city limits.
  • The EPS laid 3,236 charges against persons residing outside the city limits.
  • Residents in the Edmonton C.M.A., but outside city limits, had some contact with EPS members as complainants, witnesses, subjects, or drivers on a total of 5,734 occasions.
  • In total, the EPS responded to approximately 16,355 calls for service involving persons residing outside the city limits. This equates to 1,363 calls per month, or 45 cases per day, involving residents from outside the city limits but within the C.M.A.
  • In 1997, the EPS assisted the R.C.M.P. in responding to 943 calls.

2001 Figures:

  • Currently in Edmonton, 77.5% of the labor force in Edmonton live in Edmonton. The remaining 22.5% of the work force commutes in from the surrounding municipalities of the CMA.
  • Many of the surrounding communities are bedroom communities with less than half of their residents working in these communities. According to Statistics Canada’s numbers, only 33% of Leduc residents work in Leduc, and in both Strathcona County and St. Albert less than 24% of residents work in their community.
  • In 2001, the Edmonton had 28,997 traffic collisions. Of these collisions, 5,925 (20%) involved at least one driver that lived within the Edmonton CMA but not in the city boundaries. This means that the Edmonton Police Service processes about 16 accident reports per day involving at least one driver from the Edmonton CMA boundaries.
  • In 2001, the EPS laid 2,569 charges in 1,568 incidents against residents that live within the CMA. Of these charges, 1,568 were criminal code (excluding traffic) and 532 were criminal code traffic charges. This means that the EPS currently lays about seven charges a day against persons that reside within the CMA but outside the city boundaries. Note: The higher figures for 1997 included municipal, provincial, and some federal offenses that are not included in 2001 figures.
  • In 2001, the EPS assisted the R.C.M.P. in responding to 1,134 calls (20% increase over 1997).

Changes over the past five years and/or expected in the future:

The additional "regional" policing will continue to grow over the next few years and for the forseeable future. This growth is in keeping with the more than proportional population growth in the C.M.A. outside the city.

  • As the bedroom communities grow and as more workers migrate into Edmonton, it is projected that there should be an increase in the number of collisions in the City given the increase in vehicles on Edmonton streets. In 2025, it is projected[1]that the EPS may be processing roughly 9,542 accident reports per day involving at least one driver from within the CMA boundaries. This equates to roughly 26 accident reports per day.
  • Since the bedroom communities are projected to grow at a faster rate than the city of Edmonton population, these areas will have a greater impact on the workload of the EPS. In the upcoming years, Edmonton will remain the central hub for the CMA in terms of employment and entertainment. If growth of the CMA continues as projected by the City of Edmonton Planning and Development Department, it is projected that by 2025 the EPS may be laying about 3,447 criminal code charges against those residing in the Edmonton CMA.[2]This equates to roughly ten charges a day.

Financial Implications:

Using 2001 calls for service data and activity based costing figures developed by KPMG (adjusted for salary increases), the cost of providing such services is approximately $4.8 million.

Alternatives (who else can/should provide this service):

The EPS is required to deal with these regional demands, but supports opportunities for improving policing in the region where all parties obtain increased efficiency and effectiveness.

For more information, contact:

Kim Moore, Planning & Evaluation Services Section, 421-2292

Updated: 2002 October 02

[1] Projections are based on the average growth of collision reported to the EPS during the period 1997-2001.

[2] Projections are based on the average growth of the CMA relative to the number of charges laid against those that live within the CMA from 1997-2001.

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