A Calgary Police Service officer is pictured in Calgary on July 4, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Nearly 20 percent of Calgary’s police officers are on leave or working in alternate positions due to physical injury or psychological distress, according to a Sept. 9 memo from the city’s police commission.
The memo was presented by the Calgary Police Commission, an independent body responsible for overseeing the Calgary Police Service (CPS), to a strategic meeting of Calgary city council on Sept. 17, ahead of its preview of the 2026 budget. In the memo, the police commission requested more resources to help officers on leave or accommodation get back to work sooner.
“Approximately 19 per cent of police officers are currently on leave or accommodations, many due to physical or mental injuries,” the document said, noting the police force doesn’t have the resources or space to train new recruits at this time.
“To be blunt – the Calgary Police Service is not able to recruit, train and equip more officers than it is already expecting to hire,” the memo said.
The proposed 2026 city budget allocates $613 million for the Calgary Police Service, up from $541 million this year, with the budget preview set to go before a new city council after the city’s Oct. 20 municipal election.
According to the police commission, Calgary police are experiencing similar burnout rates to police forces around the country.
“This trend is consistent with national trends in policing, where occupational stress injuries and burnout are rising,” the commission said in a Sept. 19 statement provided to The Epoch Times.
“This high rate of leaves and accommodated work has created a noticeable increase in pressure on active personnel,” it added.
Council has green-lit funding for 21 additional police positions next year, meaning a total of 135 new trainees are expected in 2026, according to information provided by a spokesperson for the commission. Next year, CPS says it will run five recruit classes of 24 officers each, plus two direct-entry officer classes of 12 officers each. Longer term, the goal is to grow training capacity and reduce the number of officers on leave while hiring a larger number of new officers.
“Our Commission’s focus over the next 12 months is to work with the Calgary Police Service to increase training and recruitment capacity, and reduce the number of officers on leave through improved back-to-work supports,” Calgary Police Commission Chair Amtul Siddiqui said in a Sept. 19 statement to the Epoch Times.
The commission said in the next budget cycle of 2027-2030 it will make a “significant ask” for hundreds of more officers. In the meantime, it’s prioritizing recruitment campaigns, including the “coffee with a uniform” program, developing new roles to accommodate officers who are able to return to work, and constructing a new indoor firing range expected to be completed in the next year.
CPS Chief Katie McLellan said that while its employees’ physical and mental health is a priority for the service, CPS also recognizes this can create difficulties for full operational capacity.
“Leaves and accommodations, while essential to supporting the health and wellness of our members, can have a cascading impact across the service by affecting staffing levels, operational capacity and team dynamics,” McLellan wrote in a Sept. 19 statement to the Epoch Times.
“We are actively investing in our people and working to strengthen and evolve our processes, including navigating these ripple effects. Supports and plans are also in place to help manage workload and maintain member wellness, while ensuring public safety is not compromised,” she added.
