‘Arresting is connecting’: Calgary police launch another patrol blitz
Posted May 13, 2026 6:25 pm.
Last Updated May 13, 2026 6:26 pm.
Calgary police launched another patrol blitz in the city’s southeast this week, part of a series of enforcement and outreach blitzes whose impact the service says will become clearer in the days ahead.
Police were conducting the operation on Wednesday in the Forest Lawn area, while also patrolling downtown and surrounding areas, similar to two earlier “Operation Order” blitzes.
The Calgary Police Service says the goal is to address crime, social disorder, and the public’s perception of safety, which they argue requires both enforcement and connection.
Some businesses say the increased presence is overdue.
“100 per cent the visibility of the police here is absolutely amazing,” says Ronaldo Nunag, owner of Happee Peep.
Alison Karim-McSwiney, executive director of the International Avenue BRZ, said the patrols help fill gaps frontline workers can’t always manage.
“Unfortunately, sometimes they have to deal with people who are dealing with addiction disorders and other issues,” she said. “Frankly, they are not trained to do that, and sometimes it’s not safe.”
Police Chief Katie McLellan said the service uses crime data and community engagement to determine where the blitzes occur, with more planned across the city.
“Arresting is connecting,” McLellan said. “We will not walk past an individual who appears to be in distress, in crisis, or who is breaking the law and say, ‘Someone should do something about that.’ That is our job.”
The service says officers are not only enforcing the law but also referring people to social supports. It’s a claim critics argue doesn’t reflect the lived reality of those most affected.
Community organizer Taylor McNallie said the blitzes disproportionately target vulnerable Calgarians.
“It pushes people more marginalized away from the social services that they need, away from community members themselves,” she said. “It puts a lot more people in jail, because a lot of folks have warrants that they have from tickets they are unable to afford.”
Police say updated enforcement and referral numbers from the operation will be released Thursday.
