Private contracts for Edmonton police rose sharply over last five years: data

Private policing contracts by the Edmonton Police Service have grown significantly over the last five years, according to new data, with the number of hours and dollars involved more than quadrupling since 2020.

The extra duty detail (EDD) program allows private organizations to contract Edmonton police officers outside of their regular shifts, for duties ranging from traffic control to providing a visible police presence at large events. 

CBC News obtained the data through a freedom of information request to EPS.

Temitope Oriola, a professor and criminologist at the University of Alberta, said that while there may be situations where extra duty details make sense, current EPS policies lack clarity on the distinction between public and private policing.

"The line appears to be quite blurred right now," he said. "It's unclear to me where one ends and where the other begins."

The practice of providing private policing services through paid contracts goes back decades at EPS.

In the past, EPS's private contracts included "weddings, bars and nightclubs, graduations and other questionable events," according to an EDD policy document. Those shifts often "devolved into security work resulting in an unacceptable ownership of liability and careless stewardship of EPS resources."

As a result of a 2013 review, the program today has stricter rules and a client's request must meet certain criteria to be approved.

The policy outlines three categories for EDD requests.

One category is "crime and/or disorder." For these requests, clients must first provide "verifiable information and statistics" to demonstrate that crime or disorder is occurring. A risk analysis of the request must be completed, weighing safety concerns and how the proposed deployment would reflect on EPS.

According to the policy document, these types of requests are rarely granted because it would invite allegations of preferential treatment or two-tier policing. If a client's request highlights a legitimate public safety concern, it may be addressed by deploying regular EPS resources.

Extra duty requests can also address "client risk management," described as cases with the potential for crime, disorder or risks to public safety, such as with large crowds during festivals or sporting events.

The third category, which is rarely used, involves police officers being requested for ceremonial roles. 

The EDD rules also allow for the deployment of police to direct traffic during construction or the movement of large equipment. Such "vessel move" jobs are described as an "exceptional" subcategory. However, they account for 32 per cent of the list of clients, although the data does not indicate how many hours or officers that represents.