Calgary is lagging far behind other cities when it comes to the number of police officers serving its citizens.
On Tuesday, Statistics Canada released new survey findings about police numbers across the country.
"In the top 10 cities, we are still about eighth," says Rick Hanson, the chief of police in Calgary.
According to 2009 numbers, Halifax has 230 police officers per 100,000 people; Toronto has 212 police officers per 100,000 people; Edmonton has 183 officers per 100,000 people; and Calgary has 159 officers per 100,000 people.
Hanson says even though our numbers are lower than other cities, he is pleased with the commitment to hire more officers. "We are pleased the city committed to 200 positions over three years, we are pleased the province has stepped up with additional resources."
The chief says having more officers makes a difference in crime rates. "We have shown that, given the resources, we can have a significant impact on crime in the city as is evidenced by stats on auto thefts which are down about 40 percent."
But not everyone thinks more police means less crime. "You can't sell lower crime rates based on more police officers. It just doesn't cut mustard," says Doug King, a criminologist at Mount Royal University.
King says aging population, not more officers on the streets, is responsible for a decline in Calgary's crime rate. "It's the percentage of young males 16 to 24 who commit the most amount of crime. If we have fewer of those people in a community, city, or country, the crime rate is going to drop."
King does support funding for policing though. He says having more police officers reduces emergency response times; and having a very visible presence in the downtown core does have an impact on things like graffiti, vandalism and panhandling.
