‘It Ends Now’: Alberta Premier Addresses Report of Gang Infiltration in Homeless Encampments

A police officer keeps an eye on things as police and cleanup crews tear down homeless encampments in Edmonton on Dec. 29, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has vowed to restore public safety throughout the province following reports that gang members have infiltrated sprawling homeless encampments in Edmonton.

“Guns. Deadly fentanyl. Sexual assaults. It ends now! Violent and organized gangs are terrorizing our vulnerable populations within encampments,” Ms. Smith said in a Jan. 3 post on X. “This is not safe for anyone. My government will continue to do what is necessary to restore public safety throughout Alberta.”

Ms. Smith’s comments come as Edmonton police officers and city workers clear out a total of eight homeless encampments considered to be “high-risk.”

Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee said gang activity is one of the reasons homeless encampments in the city are not safe, in addition to fires and drugs. Mr. McFee said gangs have been taking advantage of those living in the encampments by controlling access to city-supplied water fountains and charging homeless people money to use them.

“You’re seeing a lot of Redd Alert and ASAP, absolutely, down in the encampments, but we have more than two gangs,” he told Global News.

In 2023, the city said Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to 135 fires in encampments resulting in 22 injuries and three deaths.

There have been several incidents of violence in recent weeks at homeless encampments, including a death caused by a tent fire at one of the camps, and the sexual assault of a man by three people at another. According to Edmonton Police, two people died at encampments in the River Valley over the holiday, but neither death was determined to be criminal in nature.

City Begins Encampment Removals

Lawyers for the Coalition of Justice and Human Rights, the City of Edmonton, and the Edmonton Police Service reached an agreement on Dec. 20 on how to deal with encampment removal.

The first homeless encampment, which had eight structures and a motorhome, was removed on Dec. 30, with five people relocated and medical aid provided to three, the City of Edmonton said in a press release. A homeless encampment near the Herb Jamieson Centre, a homeless shelter in the downtown core, was removed on Dec. 31. The city said it removed 20 structures and 19 occupants. No arrests were made by police.

Then, on Jan. 2, an encampment in a ravine in Dawson Park was closed down, with 10 structures being demolished and seven occupants removed, the city said. City workers and police closed down three additional homeless encampments throughout the city on Jan. 3.

As part of the deal to close the encampments, the city and police must consider if there is sufficient shelter space and if the weather is too cold. They must also provide residents with a notice of removal and allow for ongoing wellness checks by city staff or fire services.

According to the city of Edmonton, the number of people experiencing homelessness has more than doubled since 2019, with approximately 27 percent of all homeless individuals staying outdoors.

“Encampment complaints have correspondingly doubled between 2019 and 2021. The resources required to address encampments has not kept pace with increased demand,” the city said in its document “Operating Budgets and Plans 2023-2026.”

Edmonton City Council agreed last November to spend $3 million per year to speed up its response to homeless encampments in 2024. The money will be used to hire 18 more full-time workers, including peace officers, with three goals: responding to complaints about encampments in less than five days, speeding up how quickly torn-down campsites are cleaned, and reducing the number of complaints the high-risk encampment teams deal with.

The city council also voted to increase funding for the police to $452 million in 2024, up from $385 million in 2023. The city council agreed on a seven percent increase in 2024, up from the five percent hike previously approved.