Edmonton Police are coming out in defense of comments made by EPS Chief Rod Knecht last week, connecting a spike in crime with falling oil prices – statements one northern Alberta mayor took issue with.
On Monday, September 28, Knecht said police had seen an increase in service calls, and said that spike could be connected to the falling price of oil.
“People are unemployed and a lot of folks are sitting here in Edmonton and waiting for things to pick up in the north,” Knecht said at the time.
During that news conference, Knecht stressed the need for dozens more officers in Edmonton.
Knecht’s statements were met with frustration from Wood Buffalo Mayor Melissa Blake – she called on Edmonton’s police chief to back-up his claims.
On Monday, EPS released numbers showing how the local crime rate has increased in the last year.
In January 2014, police said 1660 criminal incidents were reported when the price of oil was at $94.76 – in the same month a year later, the number of crimes had increased to 2019, when the price of oil had fallen to $47.22.
Statistics for July 2014 and 2015 also showed an increase: in 2014, when the price of oil was at $103.59, 2204 criminal incidents were reported. A year later, the price of oil had fallen to $50.90, and the number of crimes had increased to 2321.
While the numbers coincide, EPS Acting Chief Brian Simpson stopped short of confirming the numbers were linked.
“We’re saying that we saw this as observations,” Simpson said. “It’s not linked to oil prices, it’s linked to the change in economy that we see in Alberta, this has been an Alberta experience for some time.”
Simpson added while Edmonton is a hub city for the north, migration comes from across Canada.
In the future, Blake said she wants city leaders to consider the effects of their words.
“Just be balanced in your representation,” Blake said. “I think we’re all so much better when we’re working together.”
With files from Ashley Molnar
