The Edmonton Police Service CAT initiative is a unified, focused, highly-visible policing concept, with an organized mobile police unit created for maximum contact, enforcement and education. This week, CAT will prowl the river valley and connected ravines on foot, with mountain bikes and on segways.
“The city receives about 400 complaints every year, voicing their concerns about crime and disorder they encounter when using the river valley,” Acting Sgt. Scott Gargan explains. “The city’s river valley system is shared by everyone in the community and this CAT deployment will address citizen concerns and ensure the river valley is safe for everyone.”
Often, people make the river valley their temporary home. This CAT deployment is an opportunity to clean up encampments and have outreach workers and medically trained members provide assistance to those in need. Some of these parks have become prone to disorder and illegal activities such as prostitution, drugs and graffiti vandalism.
CAT will focus on locating and removing temporary campsites, provide aid and assistance where needed, enforcement and a clean-up of refuse, debris, tents and other hazardous materials.
CAT is part of the ongoing EPS Violence Reduction Strategy, which brings an increase of police and other resources together to reduce crime and victimization. CAT deployments are highly visible and mobile, and have been successful in quickly addressing a wide range of criminal and social issues since September of 2011.
For more information about the EPS Violence Reduction Strategy, please visit www.edmontonpolice.ca/vrs.