On deployment of sheriffs, public safety minister and Calgary police don't seem to be on same page

Sometimes, the things that don't get reported when politicians talk to the media are just as interesting — and illustrative — as the things that do.

At a media conference in Lethbridge earlier this month, in which he announced a new crime-fighting unit for southern Alberta, Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis was asked about a recent spate of shootings in Calgary.

He used the question as an opportunity to talk about sheriffs, and seemed to indicate a difference of opinion between him and the Calgary Police Service when it comes to their use.

"There's enormous investment we've made to support our sheriffs, to augment and support both our RCMP friends as well as the Edmonton Police Service," the minister told the media.

"I certainly wish that the Calgary Police Service would, you know, ask us again for some more assistance. And we're happy to provide them assistance because officer presence matters."

The minister's comments were apparently prompted by the differing ways Alberta's two largest cities responded to provincially funded pilot projects earlier this year that saw sheriffs working in downtown crime hot spots.

In February, the province announced a 15-week pilot project to put 12 sheriffs in Edmonton's downtown core, working with EPS officers to increase patrols.

Two weeks later, a similar 12-week pilot was announced for Calgary, aimed at "improving public safety" in the downtown and Beltline.

At the conclusion of the pilot projects, the Edmonton Police Service and the province agreed to extend the partnership until the end of the year. No such extension was requested by the Calgary Police Service.

When asked by CBC News to expand on the comments made in Lethbridge, the public safety minister's office sent a statement that suggested Calgary's decision not to extend the pilot was behind the minister's words.

"Our offer to CPS and the City of Calgary remains on the table for additional support from Alberta's sheriffs for increased presence on LRT platforms and trains after the pilot project ended," the minister's statement said.

"We know police presence matters, and the sheriffs continue to provide support in high crime areas in Edmonton. Should Calgary look to benefit from this support like Edmonton has, the province is prepared to deploy sheriffs in high crime areas in Calgary."

So why didn't Calgary police decide to extend the program in their city? Why turn down provincially funded sheriffs, essentially free officers at a time of municipal budget pressures?

Supt. Scott Boyd is in charge of community policing in the south division for CPS. He says comparing the pilot project undertaken in Calgary with the one in Edmonton is "difficult" for a number of reasons.