A fourth Calgary Transit safety hub is opening up, with the latest addition coming to Chinook Centre Mall.
The announcement, made Wednesday, continues the deployment of a hub model that was first initiated back in September 2023 to distribute a full complement of resources in key areas. The goal is to limit the response time to emergent situations in targeted areas.
The transit safety plan calls for a target response time of seven to 10 minutes. The three initial Calgary Transit safety district offices include Whitehorn, Downtown Calgary and the Westbrook LRT station.
The latest hub, located at CF Chinook Centre, will allow the deployment of members from the Calgary Transit Community Outreach Team. It’s a partnership between Calgary Transit and Alpha House to provide compassionate response to calls.
“Working in a district allows the officers to build a connection with the community they serve,” said Community Outreach Team Inspector Lori Bailey, in a prepared news release.
“It helps to ensure a more equitable distribution of resources across the city and promotes community-orientated approaches in partnership with outreach groups to address safety concerns. Additionally, transitioning to four district offices reduces the travel time for peace officers and improves response time on calls for service.”
The teams will share space with Calgary Police Service officers who have been at the location for several years.
“Adding transit peace officers and Alpha House staff to this location will enhance collaboration to better serve the community,” said Calgary Police Service Inspector Jason Bobrowich.
“Having their members stationed here with us will ensure we all can quickly respond to incidents at or near the Chinook LRT station and the surrounding area.”
CF Chinook said they hope the added safety enhances the experience for guests in the mall and around the LRT station.
A fifth location, expected to be in the city’s northwest, has yet to be named.
