Increased police presence will be seen in Ice District during Oilers playoffs
Edmonton police will join Oilers fans around Rogers Place and the Ice District as the team embarks on its playoff run.
"Our whole plan is to create a safe and fun event for all of the Oilers fans and the citizens of Edmonton," said EPS Staff Sgt. Jay Reinelt.
He said the playoff policing plan will be similar to last year.
"We made some small adjustments along the way to improve things as we went and we'll do the same thing this year if need be."
"You'll be able to expect increased uniform presence during games," Staff Sgt. Reinelt said.
He said how many extra officers will vary from game to game, round to round.
"Game 1, Round 1 is probably our lowest level of resources."
"It's mostly on-duty personnel from other units and areas that are re-deployed to the area. But as the fan base increases in the area and the fan participation increases then so does our police presence," he said.
While the focus will be around the arena, Staff Sgt. Reinelt said they'll also be keeping an eye on Whyte Avenue.
"Just because of its history but in the last few years there haven't been any issues there so it's just been our regular beat officers patrolling that area," he said.
Police also remind people that downtown, near the arena, can be busy even during away games.
"Expect some traffic congestion pre and post game," he said.
"Last year one of our games, even though it was an away game, we had almost 30,000 fans in the area so you can probably expect very similar things this year," he added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
'Repetitive partisan conduct': Conservatives to force vote on ousting Speaker Greg Fergus
The federal Conservatives have advanced a motion that will force MPs to vote on whether to oust Greg Fergus as House of Commons Speaker, after MPs' deputy adjudicator ruled Monday that the Liberal member's allegedly errant partisan event invite required urgent attention.
Trial for B.C. man accused of killing, dismembering wife begins
The trial for a Langley man accused of killing his wife began Monday, with the prosecutor laying out a disturbing series of facts agreed upon by both Crown and defence.
Stars roar back to win Game 3 over Oilers
Jason Robertson's hat-trick goal midway through the third period broke a deadlock and proved to be the eventual winner as the Dallas Stars beat the host Edmonton Oilers 5-3 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final to take a 2-1 series lead.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
WATCH Alta. man rescues wild foal trapped on steep cliffside
A man's daring rescue of a newborn wild foal that was trapped after falling down a steep embankment was caught on video over the weekend.
Severe thunderstorms, tornado watch in some areas of Canada. Here's where
Depending on where you live, you can expect to get a mixed bag of weather this week, as local forecasts predict heavy rain, strong wind, severe thunderstorms and even snowfall across some areas of Canada.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.
Israel close to approving Gaza reunification program before Rafah invasion: Miller
Immigration Minister Marc Miller says Israel seemed to be on the verge of approving a program to get Palestinian relatives of Canadians out of the Gaza Strip before the country's invasion of the town of Rafah.