The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) receives operational and capital funding through the City of Edmonton budget, which runs in four-year cycles to allow for greater stability for programs, services, building and maintenance. The City of Edmonton approved the Edmonton Police Service Funding Formula on August 23, 2023, that provides predictable funding for each year within the current 2023 - 2026 budget to give planning certainty for both the EPS and The City of Edmonton.
As a department of the City of Edmonton, the EPS follows the City’s budget process, which allows for City Council to review and adjust the operating and capital budgets every spring and fall as needed based on financial updates provided by city administration. These adjustments are integral parts of the budget process as they accommodate changes required in response to project needs, funding changes and emerging issues.
Please click here for details about the City of Edmonton budget strategy.
Edmonton Police Service Budget
Policing in Edmonton focuses on transparency, accountability and collaboration. The annual EPS budget aligns with the service’s strategic plan as developed in partnership with the Edmonton Police Commission. The 2023 – 2026 strategic plan identified five priorities that guide all decision-making and lay the framework for advancing community policing and enhancing operational efficiencies.
The following areas drive allocations within the EPS operating and capital budgets:
- Reducing crime and victimization
- Community policing
- Increasing efficiency and effectiveness
As Edmonton continues to experience tremendous growth while still requiring the same levels of service for all residents, the EPS focuses its efforts on a four-part policing mandate to prevent crime, enforce laws, uphold public safety and maintain social order.
The EPS strives to build safe communities through leadership and policing excellence by instilling an unwavering commitment to community policing among all officers. Community policing is the delivery of effective and efficient policing services through collaboration with Edmontonians. Each police officer is expected to follow this work practice regardless of their assigned work area and specific responsibilities.
The nature of community policing is characterized by joint consultations, formalized partnerships, cooperative problem solving and proactive crime prevention that occurs in tandem with essential response, investigation and enforcement activities.
Community policing requires EPS focuses on both crime and social disorder by seeking human-centred solutions that get to the root cause of crime and disorder to maintain community safety and well-being.