Calgary police sweep downtown for fifth time, but McLellan admits no sustained improvement yet
Wednesday's fifth Operation Order round is the latest in a series of one-day enforcement blitzes; the chief says enforcement alone won't solve it.
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Calgary police ran the fifth round of Operation Order on Wednesday, a one-day concentrated enforcement push aimed at persistent social disorder in the downtown core and surrounding communities. Officers were temporarily moved in from other districts to increase patrols. The operation also covered areas near the Sunalta and Chinook CTrain stations and Forest Lawn.
The previous two rounds gave the most recent numbers. In June, officers attended 387 calls, executed 280 warrants and made 252 social support referrals. In May, the totals were 421 calls, 308 warrants and 215 referrals. CPS works alongside social service organizations and health-care providers on the referral side.
At a news conference Wednesday, Chief Katie McLellan acknowledged the operation has not yet produced a significant, sustained improvement in crime or social disorder. "We know enforcement alone will not solve these issues, but the answer cannot be to stop enforcing when criminal activity occurs, when people are victimized or behaviour makes people unsafe in our public spaces," she said.
The CPS crime dashboard lists 81,953 reported instances of social disorder across Calgary so far in 2026. The most affected communities are the Beltline, the downtown core, East Village and Forest Lawn; the Beltline alone accounts for 8,245 instances. Social disorder was up five per cent in 2025 and down six per cent in 2024.
McLellan pointed to one case to show what the work looks like on the ground: a man with a substance use history and repeated police contact, connected to housing through community partners. He later relapsed and returned to homelessness, was rehoused, has kept his housing, completed community court requirements and has had no further police interactions. "That's one person's story. It will not necessarily be reflected in an overall crime rate," McLellan said. "But when I hear about an outcome like that, I see the value of the work our members and our partners are doing."
The Calgary Drop-In Centre, a CPS social services partner in the operation, responded by email. Its president and CEO, Sandra Clarkson, said: "Everyone deserves to feel safe in downtown Calgary, including people experiencing homelessness."
The facts
When did Calgary police run the fifth round of Operation Order?
Calgary police ran the fifth round of Operation Order on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. It was a one-day concentrated enforcement push aimed at persistent social disorder in Calgary's downtown core and surrounding communities.
How many calls, warrants and social support referrals did Operation Order record in June?
During the June round of Operation Order, Calgary police attended 387 calls, executed 280 warrants and made 252 social support referrals.
How many reported instances of social disorder has Calgary recorded so far in 2026?
The CPS crime dashboard lists 81,953 reported instances of social disorder across Calgary so far in 2026. The Beltline alone accounts for 8,245 of those instances.
Did Calgary police chief Katie McLellan say Operation Order has reduced crime?
Chief Katie McLellan acknowledged that Operation Order has not yet produced a significant, sustained improvement in crime or social disorder. She said enforcement alone will not solve these issues.
