Edmonton police overtime for Oilers playoff run totalled nearly $1.9M

The Edmonton Oilers saw some overtime action during their Stanley Cup run this year, but nowhere near as much as the Edmonton Police Service (EPS).

According to figures obtained through a freedom of information request, EPS racked up nearly $1.9 million in overtime and extra-duty policing related to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Of that total, EPS said the City of Edmonton will cover $446,505, and Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) will cover $325,891. The city said its costs will be paid by OEG.

That leaves the police — and taxpayers — on the hook for $1,088,616.

Overtime over budget

A budget variance filed by EPS to the Edmonton police commission shows that total EPS overtime for the period ending May 31 — before the playoffs ended — surpassed $2 million, roughly $1.1 million more than budgeted.

The Oilers' playoff run began at home on April 22 against the Los Angeles Kings. It ended on June 24 with a Game 7 road loss to the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup final.

On game days during the Cup run, throngs of jubilant fans in Oilers jerseys flooded into the city's downtown, filling Rogers Place for home games and road-game watch parties.

Thousands crammed into Ice District Plaza and the Fan Park. Other fans packed bars to capacity downtown, on Whyte Avenue and elsewhere.

Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson, who sits on the police commission, said extra policing was inevitable for such a large, ongoing event.

"[That] was just related to the general increase in people downtown during the playoffs," Stevenson said.

"So that was people going to restaurants, you know, watching the game in bars. There was just a surge of individuals in the downtown and not unlike other civic events we have: New Year's Eve, Canada Day.

"So in that sense, I do think it's fair that those costs are borne broadly by the community."

EPS provided written responses to questions from CBC News.

"The nature of policing is spontaneous and our command teams and personnel work diligently to triage critical events and adjust resources to manage," said the statement.

"If regular-duty staffing becomes insufficient, there are overtime contingencies to support staffing levels. With notice of planned events such as NHL playoffs, planners are assigned and create staffing plans to best manage the added impacts."

The statement noted that events "over and above regular police deployments" are taxing for the organization and for individual officers.

City spent $216K on playoffs

In a statement, a spokesperson for the City of Edmonton said the city has invoiced its share of extra-duty policing costs to OEG.

Separate from those costs, the city spent an estimated $216,000 on the playoffs, the statement said.

"Examples include beautification and cleaning, specialty lighting, decal packages, use of the City of Edmonton's portable video screen, protocol items, social media and digital asset activation, sidewalk and window artists and Oilers-themed community activations," said the statement.

"The playoffs contribute to the local economy and in 2024 resulted in an economic impact of $281 million for the city."

CBC News sent questions to OEG requesting comment for this story. In response, OEG provided a statement attributed to Stuart Ballantyne, the president and chief operating officer of Rogers Place and Ice District.

Ballantyne said OEG Sports & Entertainment pays for policing at Rogers Place events, as well as at outdoor spaces in Ice District, during game and event nights.

"During the playoffs, OEGSE increased the normal EPS deployment of paid duty officers to assist in overseeing the three playoff celebration venues throughout Ice District," said the statement.

The three venues are Rogers Place, Ice District Plaza and the Fan Park.

Public costs not 'wildly off kilter'

Temitope Oriola, a policing expert at the University of Alberta, said this kind of "extra-budgetary spending" is routine, "especially for activities such as the playoffs that are important to the very social fabric of society — the camaraderie, the unity and the sense of belonging and accomplishment and so forth that such events represent."

But he noted that in a time of budget constraints for the public purse, the police often seem very well funded.

"It's important to also point out that the Edmonton Police Service is one of the best resourced police services in Canada," Oriola said.

Asked whether a private company like OEG should be asked to shoulder more of the costs for increased policing during its events, Stevenson said it's a complicated question.

"I think it's fair to reconsider exactly how we draw those lines," she said. But she noted that, to be equitable, that approach might mean asking other events such as the Edmonton Folk Music Festival to take on those additional costs as well.

Stevenson added the cost of statutory holiday pay for EPS officers working on Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also amounts to about $1 million.

"Do I know for sure we have it exactly right? No, not at all. I think we could definitely look at this. These numbers definitely prompt those types of questions," she said.

"But do I think we're wildly off kilter? I don't know that I'm seeing that."