Edmonton's Blueprint for Violence Prevention: A Collaborative Approach
Every Edmontonian wants to live in a city that feels safe and friendly. But it’s a reality for many of us that currently, some aspects of our city feel unwelcoming, even dangerous. Especially since the pandemic, we’ve seen an increase in social disorder and family violence, as people struggle with economic uncertainties and mental health crises. Currently, Edmonton ranks fourth on the violent crime severity index for major Canadian cities, and incidents of violent crime increased by 1.8% from 2023 to 2024.
Violence is complex and often stems from compounding underlying issues. This is why we need a holistic approach that balances interventions for our current needs with strategies for sustained systemic change.
While crime and violence (and their prevention) may be linked, they are not interchangeable. Not all crime is violent, and not all violence is criminalized (for example, emotional and psychological abuse).
The City’s strategies, policies, and bylaws can support community safety, but they’re pieces of a bigger puzzle. Back in 2023, Council grappled with discussions on what further work could be done at the municipal level and passed a motion to dig into violence prevention.
The blueprint’s development included a jurisdictional scan of other strategies around the world, to ensure that Edmonton’s plan is in line with best practices. Based on their findings, the blueprint:
Takes a public health approach,
Engages cross-sector collaborations,
And focuses on high-level solutions to address the underlying issues that contribute to violence.
The Blueprint for Violence Prevention is embedded under the Community Safety and Well-being Strategy (CSWB). The blueprint includes having a System Stewardship Table, headed by the City of Edmonton, Alberta Health Services, the Edmonton Police Service, and REACH. Each of these stakeholders is responsible for good work individually, and this brings them together to build on these efforts and increase their impact on violence.
Funding Towards Violence Prevention:
Council approved $750,000 in funds to drive the Blueprint for Violence Prevention implementation through 2025–2026.
The City is also investing in violence prevention via CSWB grants and Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), and funding will be further allocated as needs are assessed and the plan is implemented.
In total, the City allocated $8.8 million in 2024 toward safety initiatives such as CSWB, Downtown Vibrancy, FCSS, Building Safer Communities, — in addition to funding to EPS, transit safety resources, etc.
I am glad to see this plan advancing and so many stakeholders working in collaboration towards a common goal.
Violence hurts individuals and it hurts communities. We can do better, and we must. This investment and collaboration towards safer communities is putting Edmonton on the right path, and I will be monitoring outcomes as implementation unfolds.
