The Calgary police once again deployed officers in a sweep of the downtown area, laying some charges, issuing tickets and making dozens of social agency referrals.
The second Operation Order deployment went ahead early Wednesday, with Calgary police, Calgary Community Safety, and Transit Public Safety officers out all day at key hot spots in the downtown.
Police said this operation supported the ongoing daily enforcement done by the Community Engagement Response Teams (CERT).
Calgary police Chief Katie McLellan said through the course of the operation from around 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., officers attended 148 calls for service and charged six people with eight criminal offences. Officers issued 33 summonses, executed 70 warrants, had 186 proactive community engagements, and made 77 referrals to social agencies.
“But as I’ve said before, this is not just about stats. This is about change in behaviour. It’s about what is acceptable and what is not, and about how people feel safe,” McLellan told reporters.
In her travels around the downtown, Chief McLellan said she talked with business owners, area residents, people who frequent the area, and the unhoused.
“I can tell you that the conversations were incredibly professional. They were engaging. There was lots of good feedback. There were lots of great questions. And even those who were unhoused talked to us about where they were going, what their plans were for the day,” she said.
“When we talked about what was acceptable and what’s not, for example, lying in people’s doorways using drugs and just that perception of crime and safety, they were quick to acknowledge that, in fact, they know that it wasn’t right to be doing what they were doing, and very respectfully had a conversation about where they were planning to go.”
Not just about enforcement: Chief McLellan
It’s the fourth focused deployment of Calgary law enforcement and public safety personnel in the past year, with the Operation CERTainty done along downtown transit hotspots between February and April 2025. The first Operation Order was done last November, in the downtown, and Operation Jingle All the Way was done in December, with a focus on the south leg of Calgary’s LRT line.
Chief McLellan said these operations aren’t just about the numbers, they’re about the people and restoring dignity, safety and trust in Calgary.
“Enforcement is only part of the work, but compassion guides every interaction. Our expectations for respectful and appropriate behaviour in public spaces remains unchanged,” she said.
“We will continue to enforce laws and bylaws, but always with care and always with a pathway to support. We are working closely with our social agency partners at the Alpha house and the Drop-In Center to connect individuals to services when they need them.”
The Drop-In Centre’s Sandra Clarkson said that they can make progress when systems are aligned around the same goals of reducing harm and promoting stability by moving people to safer outcomes, including housing.
“When police, outreach teams, health services and community organizations work together, we are better able to respond to complex situations in a way that prioritizes well-being,” she said in a prepared statement.
“These coordinated efforts allow first responders to de-escalate situations and connect individuals to shelter, health care, housing, and ongoing supports, rather than relying on enforcement alone.”
A statement from the Alpha House said they believe it’s critical to have a spectrum of approaches and responses to complex community issues like public safety, homelessness and addictions.
“Alpha House has a long-standing partnership with the Calgary Police Service and we will continue to support that partnership by diverting unnecessary police interventions when our HELP Team can provide a more appropriate response to the situation and by streamlining access to services for vulnerable individuals,” they said.
Chief McLellan said that the deployments would continue through 2026.
“When we did this in November, we had, very quickly, a call from a couple of different other communities asking us when we are going to be coming out there, so we will reassess and look at to see where the next appropriate community is that we should go to,” she said.
“But I have had several calls and several conversations with individuals who would like us to attend different parts of the city. So, I will, in fact, commit to that.”
