Edmonton transit issued $3.4M in trespass tickets to people with no fixed address in 2025

Edmonton's transit peace officers issued 5,748 trespass tickets to people with no fixed address in 2025, generating $3.4 million in fines and accounting for 86% of all 6,673 trespass tickets handed out on the system that year. Each ticket carries a $600 fine.

Data obtained through an access-to-information request and released Tuesday by the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association's policing committee, Edmonton Coalition on Housing and Homelessness, Coalition for Justice and Human Rights, and Justice and Equity Alberta shows the figure represents the highest number of transit trespass tickets issued on record since at least 2018.

Chris Wiebe, a lawyer and spokesperson for the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association policing committee, expressed concern about the pattern. "It's happening even when the city's extreme weather response is active during periods of extreme cold last winter. You still saw hundreds of these tickets and dozens of these bans being issued," Wiebe said. "And what it really calls into question for me is how we're responding to visible poverty, visible drug use on transit — is it really proportionate?"

Transit peace officers issue trespass tickets when they believe someone on transit property has been verbally or written banned from the system. Verbal bans last one to two days; written bans last three months to two years. The city can ban people for infractions including fare evasion, public intoxication, loitering, littering, aggressive panhandling, smoking, urination and defecation.

Temitope Oriola, a University of Alberta criminologist, said the ticketing approach is misguided given the marginalized status of those with no fixed address. "These are individuals who may not even have the $600 anywhere in their pockets or in their account," Oriola said, adding that it is important to ensure those most vulnerable are redirected to supports. Peace officers are increasingly fielding mental health and addictions situations, which adds complexity to their role.

The city has not publicly responded to the data release or the criticism of its ticketing practices.