The Edmonton Police Service is marking a milestone of sorts, as dispatched calls for service have increased by more than 10,000 compared to the same time last year. These calls have been answered and evaluated, and a police officer has been sent to a location to investigate.
This is a significant increase in dispatched calls for service – calls related to serious incidents and violent crimes. The Edmonton Police Service has dispatched 134,526 calls for service year-to-date (October 22, 2015) compared to 124,204 calls dispatched last year (October 22, 2014), which is an increase of 8.3 per cent.
“We understand the public’s frustration when they have to wait for police response to non-emergency crimes,” says Insp. Graham Hogg with 911 Police Communications Branch. “We appreciate these citizens may have been impacted by crime. The EPS is doing its best to respond to all calls for service within the finite resources we have. This significant increase provides some insight into the challenges officers respond to on a daily basis. ”
The Edmonton Police Service is using a variety of tactics to help mitigate the situation:
- Complainants for non-emergency calls are contacted or called back with an update of the status of their call.
- All calls are continuously monitored, evaluated and dispatched appropriately.
- Introduced Northwest Division and geographic boundaries were realigned to evenly distribute call volumes.
- Report a Crime Onlineimplemented
- Preparing for the Collision Reporting Centre at Gateway Park
Two of the most common crimes reported to the EPS are theft from vehicle and theft of vehicle.
The EPS encourages citizens to take proactive crime prevention measures:
- Do not leave your vehicle running.
- Do not leave a spare key hidden in the vehicle.
- Lock your vehicle.
- Use a steering wheel locking device (e.g. The Club).
- Remove all valuables from your vehicle.
- Install a car alarm.
The Edmonton Police Service encourages the public to call 911 when witnessing a crime or suspicious activity, or if there is a need for emergency services.
“Every tip a citizen reports to the police is helpful,” says Insp. Hogg. “Many times, it’s the public that proactively reports a crime, and this can help prevent further crime.”
Citizens can also lodge non-emergency complaints by calling 780-423-4567 or #377 from their mobile phone. Anonymous information can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or online at www.tipsubmit.com/start.htm.