Calgary police call 2023 Stampede success with minimal incidents

With a near-record-breaking Calgary Stampede attendance, the city’s police service says it was a successful 10-day event with minimal incidents.

Organizers with the Calgary Stampede called it the third-largest city in Alberta and with more than 1.3 million guests coming through the gates of the Calgary Stampede, law enforcement needed to be close by.

That’s why Calgary police set up a “ninth district” on the Stampede grounds, with its own commander, radio channel, patrol officers, and office.

“There’s specific officers that are assigned to the grounds to take calls, as well as officers that are assigned to certain areas of the grounds,” Constable Sean Bunes told CityNews.

Calgary police also paired up with neighbouring services.

“I’m with the Blood Tribe Police Service,” Constable Autumn Jerry said. “We have an exchange program with the Calgary police.”

“Essentially, we send officers here just to build partnerships and help each other out,” she explained.

Read More: Calgary Stampede aims for safety with police presence in park

In a statement to CityNews, Calgary police responded to 428 calls for service during the 10 days at the Stampede grounds, with 125 calls for disturbance, 67 for missing persons, 44 medical calls, 14 for assault, and the rest for “miscellaneous.”

Officers say the night shifts come with more to look out for, as that’s typically when people can get a little bit rowdy, but they do add — for the most part — all the cowboys and cowgirls have been on good behaviour.

“We’re taking calls for missing kids, lost and found items this year from what I’ve seen,” Bunes said.

“The behaviour’s been really good. We haven’t dealt with a lot of situations.”

The officers’ presence on Stampede grounds is more than just about going on patrol. It’s also about building relationships, so they gave away police patches to interested kids or tourists.

“I traded a patch yesterday with an officer from Germany, so that was pretty cool,” Bunes said.

“It’s something that they can bring home to their families or back to their country or something like that. It’s super exciting. You always wanna welcome them to Canada, Alberta, or even southern Alberta with a happy face.”

The Calgary Stampede consists of three parts, police say, which is the Stampede Parade, activities on the grounds, and events and festivals outside the grounds.

However, police ask anyone that was a victim of a crime, or witnessed something that happened to you or your loved one to reach out to the police at 403-266-1234 or leave a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

There is no statute of limitations on serious offences and a six-month statute of limitation on some summary conviction defences.

-With files from Tiffany Goodwein