Edmonton police receive nearly two calls per day related to incidents on the LRT system, according to stats contained in a recent city report.
Police received 2,227 calls between January 2015 and June 2018. The incidents ranged from minor to serious, adding up to 1.8 calls per day.
A little more than half of those incidents happened between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m.
The report, which goes before councillors on Wednesday, did not indicate whether the number of incidents had risen or fallen since 2015.
The new statistics provide a larger view of transit safety after police charged dozens of teens in relation to a months-long LRT crime spree earlier this year.
In March, more than 460 charges were laid against 34 teen for crimes committed between January 2017 and March 2018 on the LRT system. The list of charges included robbery, weapons offences and aggravated assault.
The report highlighted ongoing efforts between transit and police officers to patrol the LRT system in recent years.
Police received 114 reports of violent crimes at transit centres and LRT platforms in 2016, dropping by more than half compared to the previous year, the report stated. The city credits the change to a pilot program that partnered transit officers with police.
A team of nine full-time beat cops were assigned to the LRT in response to the pilot.
The city also arranged for 14 of Edmonton’s 65 transit officers to get security clearance with the police, providing more opportunities to attend intelligence meetings and share information.
The report also recommended the city upgrade Stadium and Coliseum stations to fit design plans aimed at reducing crime. Those plans emphasized open sight lines and clearly differentiating between public and private spaces, such as fare zones.