Meeting with justice minister a productive good start for improving safety, says Edmonton mayor

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says his meeting with Justice Minister Tyler Shandro on Tuesday was productive and a good first start for improving safety in the city. 

The meeting at the Alberta legislature came after Shandro invoked a section of the Police Act last week compelling the City of Edmonton to produce a plan within two weeks for boosting policing and reducing crime on transit and in the downtown core. 

Jason Luan, the minister for community and social services, and Mike Ellis, the associate minister for mental health and addictions, also attended. 

Sohi told reporters that he and the three ministers were able to find some common ground. 

"A very good, productive meeting," the mayor said. "It is the start of a very good dialogue and we're going to build on it."

At an unrelated news conference later in the afternoon, Shandro agreed that the meeting was productive. He said Sohi and city manager Andre Corbould were able to discuss work that has been done so far, and ask questions about what is required in the report due on June 9. 

"Happy to have that opportunity to sit down with them and answer any questions they had so that they can feel comfortable in submitting a plan to us," Shandro said.

Concerns about crime on Edmonton transit, Chinatown and the downtown core have heightened in recent months. 

In late April, a 78-year-old hospital worker was seriously injured when she was pushed onto the tracks at an LRT station. Earlier this month, a woman and her daughter were assaulted on a bus on their way to the Lewis Farms transit centre in the west end of the city.

Transit riders have also reported open drug use in LRT cars. 

But the deaths of two men killed in separate daytime assaults in Chinatown on May 18 has galvanized citizens who feel the city needs to do more to protect them. 

Shandro defends invoking Police Act

Shandro invoked a section of the Police Act on Thursday, one day before Edmonton city council was set to discuss police funding and downtown crime.

Sohi called the action an example of overreach. Shandro defended that tactic Tuesday, saying it was required to get everyone to the table to discuss a serious situation that has escalated in recent months. 

"I disagree that there's anything aggressive in using Section 30 of the Police Act to be able to address concerns that Edmontonians have," Shandro said. 

"Our concerns were that looking at the statistics here in Edmonton, that the situation, as I said earlier, had deteriorated very quickly in a matter of just a few months."

On Monday, Sohi unveiled a plan with immediate, medium and longer-term steps to address crime in Chinatown. 

Sohi said he discussed the plan with Shandro. He said they also discussed how the province needs to do its part investing in housing, mental health services, and addictions treatment.

"We need to partner together because community safety is a shared responsibility," he said. 

Shandro has faced questions about why he is focusing solely on Edmonton when Calgary has faced similar problems with crime and drug use on transit. 

Shandro said he believes Calgary police have a good working relationship with city administration and are working closely with Calgary city council.