From May 15, 2013 to August 23, 2013, the Edmonton Police Service has partnered with the Edmonton Transit System (ETS), the Mill Woods Town Centre shopping centre and neighbouring businesses to make a positive difference in the community and to ensure the Mill Woods Town Centre area continues to remains safe. During the 16-week project, there will be increased police presence promoting safe and lawful use of the area. Police will be interacting face-to-face with youth between the ages of 14 to 24 to build relationships, learn more about the youths in the area and help them to enhance their perceptions of themselves and their relationship with the community.
“While most youth only encounter the police in a negative context, this project will build positive relationships with youth to work together to prevent crime and disorder in this area,” says Const. Jeffrey Westman, Community Liaison Constable with Southeast Division. “Police will also be working closely with young offenders to provide the support they need to leave the cycle of crime, make positive choices and help them stay on the right path. We hope this will in turn decrease loitering, crime and disorder in the area.”
ETS has donated an office space within the Mill Woods Transit Centre where officers can talk to the public and spend more time in the area while completing other policing duties.
This year, the Neighbourhood Empowerment Team (NET) will be supporting this project by providing a youth worker that will work one-on-one with youth, building relationships and assisting them with individual needs.
Last year, the project was implemented from May 1, 2012 to August 16, 2012 and police found the increased police presence and interaction with the community truly made a difference.
During the summer of 2012, the number of youths loitering in the Mill Woods Town Centre area dropped from approximately 150 youths to between 50-75 youths. Robberies decreased by 30 per cent, theft of vehicles decreased by 50 per cent and the number of files resolved by charging an individual doubled.
“Increasing police presence and getting to know people in the area last year enabled us to identify offenders and hold them accountable for the crimes they committed,” explains Const. Westman.
Volunteers canvassed apartments and condominiums in the area last year and found that 90 per cent of the residents had believed that proactive police foot and bike patrols in the area were important.
Poster and tent cards have been placed in the Mill Woods Town Centre area promoting the summer project by our community partners.