Chief Katie McLellan

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[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

At the Calgary Police Service, we’re continuing to expand the use of AI and data-driven tools, particularly in areas like evidence review, transcription and resource deployment.

For example, our new Real-Time Translation feature on our body-worn cameras supports clearer communication between officers and community members who speak different languages. This technology is fully integrated into an officer’s body-worn camera, and the translated conversations are simultaneously recorded. Officers can change languages mid-conversation, making it suitable for situations involving multiple languages.

Learn more: https://t.co/633ATJHnRF

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

Yesterday, I had the honour of presenting badges to our newest Calgary Police Service Canine and Mounted Unit teams. This presentation reflects not only their hard work, but the dedication of every handler, trainer and family member who helped them reach this milestone.

Join me in congratulating our four new Police Service Dogs, Ozzy, Pronto, Leroy and Zom, along with two Human Remains Detection Dogs, Quinn and Bill, and our newest Police Service Horse, Archer.

We were also grateful to stand alongside our partners from the Alberta Sheriffs as Drug Detection Dogs Lurko, Scarlet, Seamus and Portos received their badges and officially joined the front lines.

This event also marks the 20th anniversary of the CPS Human Remains Detection Program and highlights the approximately 5,000 calls for service our canine teams respond to each year.

Congratulations to our newest badge recipients and their handlers.

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to join the Calgary Police Commission and City Council at Calgary’s Community Court to talk about the important role this program plays in community safety.

Community Court is a powerful example of what’s possible when systems work together. By connecting vulnerable individuals with the right supports, it helps reduce repeat offences while easing pressure on policing and the justice system.

Programs like this remind us that lasting public safety goes beyond enforcement alone; requiring collaboration, prevention and a shared commitment to addressing the root causes that bring people into contact with the justice system in the first place.

Thank you to the @cps_commission, @CityOfCalgary Councillors and all partners involved for their dedication supporting Calgarians and building safer communities.

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

As we close out National Police Week, I want to take a moment to acknowledge not only the pride we share in this profession, but also the weight we sometimes carry together.

We have responded to multiple difficult calls over the past month. Events like these do not affect solely those who were there. At the CPS, we are parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, guardians, friends & caregivers. Difficult situations resonate across sworn and civilian members alike & it’s a reminder of the humanity behind every member and every role in our Service.

I am proud to serve as your Chief every day. During hard times especially, please know that I am standing beside you and here to support you.

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

As we wrap up Safer Calgary – Operation Order for today, our focus remains clear. Addressing crime & social disorder in public spaces is ongoing work & it doesn’t end here.

Today included hundreds of interactions that went beyond enforcement. We connected with Calgarians, offered supports, engaged our community partners & set clear expectations about what is & isn’t acceptable in public spaces.

We will continue to show up, take action & work with our partners to keep communities safe every day.

Social disorder and criminal behaviour will not define this city.

[Calgary Police @CalgaryPolice]

@CPS_Chief McLellan and Deputy Chief O'Brien conducted a check on welfare on a couple of individuals in the Beltline. Once they ensured the individuals were okay, they were offered supports and resources.

[Calgary Police @CalgaryPolice]

@CPS_Chief McLellan and Deputy Chief O'Brien located a male who had collapsed outside of the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre. Our partners at @ahs_ems attended and administered four doses of naloxone before transporting the individual to the hospital.

[Calgary Police @CalgaryPolice]

Two individuals were removed from a downtown coffee shop after @CPS_Chief and Deputy Chief O'Brien observed a crack pipe on the table.

[Calgary Police @CalgaryPolice]

@CPS_Chief Katie McLellan just wrapped up her press conference and has a message for Calgarians as she deploys with teams along International Avenue in northeast Calgary.

[Calgary Police @CalgaryPolice]

Chief McLellan (@CPS_Chief) checks in with the CPS Mounted Unit.

You will often find the Mounted Unit patrolling downtown and today is no exception.

[Calgary Police @CalgaryPolice]

While our investigative teams are working around the clock to bring justice to the victims of this week's brazen shooting, our teams are deploying across the city to target other issues making Calgarians feel unsafe.

ℹ️ Safer Calgary – Operation Order is a focused initiative bringing coordinated enforcement and compassionate supports to priority areas across the city.

A key part of this work is our Community Engagement Response Teams (CERTs), who work with social agencies and other partners to balance proactive enforcement with meaningful support for those facing addiction, mental health challenges and housing instability.

In one recent interaction, CERT members helped a pregnant woman struggling with addiction take steps toward support and stability, demonstrating that public safety is about both accountability and care.

Follow our thread on X for stories from today’s operation.

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

It was a pleasure to attend the unveiling of the Calgary Police Discovery Centre (@visitCPDC) and to celebrate a new chapter for a space that has meant so much to our city for decades.

YouthLink has long been a leader in prevention, education and connection; helping young people make safer choices and better understand the role of policing in our community. Seeing that legacy evolve into the Calgary Police Discovery Centre is incredibly exciting.

This new chapter reflects a growing opportunity to engage youth, families and visitors in meaningful conversations about safety, prevention and trust, while continuing the important work that YouthLink was known for.

Thank you to everyone who helped bring this vision to life. I’m looking forward to seeing the Calgary Police Discovery Centre continue to lead innovative initiatives, reach and engage with Calgary youth, and create deeper connections with Calgarians for years to come.

[Calgary Police Discovery Centre @visitCPDC]

We've changed our name!
https://t.co/2UX88HDqQs

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

On Monday night, I was honoured to attend The @cityofcalgary Travel Safe Student Video Contest screening and see the incredible road safety videos created by students across Calgary.

Traffic safety affects every one of us, and children and youth are among our most vulnerable road users. Their videos are a powerful reminder that small, thoughtful choices on our roads can save lives. It’s encouraging to see young people leading this conversation and helping shape safer streets for Calgary.

Congratulations to all the winners and students who participated, and thank you to the teachers and families who supported this work. I am also grateful to our partners at The City of Calgary for engaging students in this important conversation.

🔗 These incredible videos can be watched by visiting the link: https://t.co/GcM7GrBusz

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

Last Friday, April 24, 2026, we came together at the Calgary Police Service Chief’s Awards Gala to celebrate 59 individuals whose actions made a meaningful difference in our community.

The Chief’s Awards honour members of the community, along with sworn and civilian CPS members, whose actions reflected courage, professionalism, and compassion. Across 11 award categories, these recognitions reflect moments where people chose service over self and demonstrated meritorious conduct in support of both the Service and the broader community.

Throughout the evening, we heard powerful stories of lives protected, trust strengthened and people supported during some of their most difficult moments. The impact of these actions is real and lasting, reaching far beyond a single night of celebration. We were also pleased to have the @CPFYYC join us to present its Chief Youth Courage Awards. The @CPS_Commission also presented their Lifetime Achievement in Community Policing and Lifetime of Distinguished Service Awards, highlighting the many ways Calgarians contribute to safety and community well-being.

To our award recipients, congratulations and thank you for the positive impact you continue to have across our city. I also want to acknowledge the CPS Rewards and Recognition team and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make this evening possible. Your dedication ensures these moments of service are properly recognized and celebrated. And to the families, friends and partners who support this work every day, thank you.

🔗 2026 Chief’s Awards behind-the-scenes: https://t.co/0YYXsx3Qha

[Calgary Police @CalgaryPolice]

Thank you to our partners, parents & youth who joined us earlier this week for an important & meaningful discussion about Calgary’s youth. This event marked the second in a series of Chief’s Town Halls taking place across the city, highlighting our most valuable asset; our youth.

ℹ️ Like many cities across Canada, Calgary is experiencing an increase in violent youth crime & addressing this challenge requires collaboration across our entire community. During the town hall, attendees heard from CPS officers who work closely with youth, learned about the vital supports YouthLink provides to schools, parents & young people & we were joined by local school boards to share their perspectives & resources. Community Resource Officers & School Resource Officers were also in attendance to connect directly with participants.

🎉 Thank you for your engagement & thoughtful questions, which helped make the evening impactful & informative. We are only one piece of the puzzle & this was just the beginning of a city‑wide conversation about how we can work together to support the safety, well‑being & bright future of Calgary’s youth.

🤝 @youthlinkyyc, @YYCNewcomers

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

Happy National Public Safety Telecommunications Week.

This week, I am proud to recognize Calgary's dedicated team of public safety telecommunications professionals.

I started my career in Calgary 911. I know firsthand that you are often the first to hear the urgency in a caller’s voice, the first to gather critical information & the first to set our response in motion. Your commitment, skill & resilience do not go unnoticed. You play a vital role in keeping our members and the citizens of Calgary safe.

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

Criminals are getting smarter. But so are we.

Last week, I spoke to Council’s Community Development Committee about our 2025 Annual Report and the increasingly complex, technical crimes emerging in Calgary. These trends are evolving fast, and meeting them requires foresight, expertise, and the right resources.

In November, we’ll continue these conversations with Council to ensure we’re equipped to stay ahead of these challenges and deliver the level of public safety Calgarians expect and deserve.

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

Every Calgarian should be concerned about the number of child abuse cases currently under investigation in our city.

I spoke to the Calgary Police Commission last month about how these files are among the most complex, traumatic, and resource‑intensive cases we handle.

Each case represents not just a criminal act, but a profound breach of trust and safety for our most vulnerable citizens. The toll these investigations take is significant. It impacts our officers, our civilian specialists, our support teams and of course, the families who rely on us for justice and protection. The emotional weight of these cases is real and it is carried quietly but relentlessly by the people who work them.

In this case, that's 15 detectives who are currently assigned to the Child Abuse Unit, with nine spots currently vacant. Alongside our partners at Luna Child and Youth Advocacy Centre, those detectives are assigned, on average, 45 files a month. That's 45 of our youngest and most vulnerable being victimized each month.

It's also happening online. Our Internet Child Exploitation team tackles this issue every day. Nearly 700 files have already come into this team. That's just for Southern Alberta, and we're not even in April yet.

This is indefensible.

In addition to these deeply concerning trends, we're also seeing the growing impact of human trafficking in our city; an issue that is often hidden in plain sight. Human trafficking is not confined to major urban centres elsewhere. It's happening right here in Calgary, affecting both adults and youth who are coerced, exploited and stripped of their safety and dignity.

Our Counter Exploitation Team continues to uncover cases where vulnerable individuals are being manipulated through violence, addiction, financial control and online recruitment. These investigations are complex, dangerous and urgently require the specialized resources necessary to identify victims early, support them safely and hold traffickers accountable.

This is not just a policing issue; it's a human rights issue, and one that demands sustained investment and collaboration across our entire community.

[Chief Katie McLellan @CPS_Chief]

We have 13 detectives in homicide. We should have 19.

We have nine detectives in the sexual assault investigation unit. We should have 15.

We have 10 in the domestic violence team. We should have 20.

Ahead of budget discussions this November with City Council, I addressed the Calgary Police Commission on current staffing gaps we are facing and their impact on public safety.

These gaps reduce our ability to be proactive, to intervene early and to give complex investigations like child abuse and sexual offences the attention they require.

Calgary is growing. The complexity of crimes is increasing, and the demands on police services are higher than ever. We cannot keep pace with this reality using yesterday's resources.

The budget we are requesting is not about expansion for the sake of expansion. It is about ensuring that we can police this city safely and responsibly.

It's about giving our child abuse investigators the support they need. It's about ensuring patrol has enough officers to respond quickly and efficiently.

It's about strengthening our homicide and traffic units, investing in youth programs that prevent harm before it happens, and rebuilding our civilian workforce so frontline officers can stay focused on the job they were trained to do. Ultimately, this is about protecting Calgarians, especially the most vulnerable amongst us, and ensuring that our officers and civilian staff have the support required to do their jobs safely and sustainably.

The decisions made in the months ahead will have a profound impact on the safety and wellbeing of this city. I look forward to working together with the Commission to ensure we meet the moment and provide Calgary with the policing services it needs and deserves.