The mayor Amarjeet Sohei has two weeks to present a new preservation plan, after being accused by the Minister of Justice on Thursday of "not providing or maintaining sufficient and effective police services." Tyler Shandro said he is concerned about the "sharp increase in violent crimes in downtown Edmonton," citing recent attacks on transit stations and the "high level of public drug use" as specific issues.

Shandro said in a new statement: "Sohei has a responsibility under the Police Act to ensure that Edmonton residents receive the law enforcement protection they deserve." He wrote in a publicly posted letter: "I will ask you for a public safety plan that increases police response to this disruption and ensures community members use public transit in Edmonton safely."

He said at City Hall: "The chaos and crime we see in our downtown are directly linked to the lack of regional investments in ending homelessness, the mental health crisis, drug poisoning, and the addiction crisis."

"Since I was elected, I have raised these issues with the provincial government and asked them to accelerate help in addressing them. So far, they have neglected these requests, but we have taken action on our own." Sohei specifically mentioned $3.9 million for a new transportation safety strategy, $8.4 million for a new community security strategy, and $5 million in a proposal to improve safety.

The province released statistics on Thursday showing that violent incidents in Edmonton increased by 11 percent from 2020 to 2021.