The Calgary Police Service (CPS) wants submissions for the 2026 edition of its Crime Prevention Poster Contest.
In an Instagram post on April 7, CPS invited school-aged youth, from kindergarten through Grade 12, to share what safety means to them for a chance to win prizes, such as gift cards and other items.
Submissions will be accepted until the dropbox closes at midnight on April 19.
Participants are asked to submit their poster online, along with a supporting title, written description, and personal and contact information.
Group submissions are not allowed, as only individuals attending a Calgary elementary, junior high or high school are permitted to participate.
Winners will be judged on creativity, relevance, visual appeal, and ability to clearly communicate the chosen message of their posters.
The competition — held in partnership with YouthLink Calgary — aims to give the city’s youth a hands-on lesson in safe habits while encouraging authenticity.
Changing nature of crime in Calgary
The contest comes amid changes in the types of crimes police are seeing in the city.
In a presentation to city councillors on April 1, Chief Katie McLellan detailed some of the statistics in the CPS’s annual report, which showed violent crime was four per cent higher last year than in 2024 — and 16 per cent higher than the previous five-year average.
While property crimes, street robberies, and shootings decreased in 2025, domestic violence, the severity of assaults, and traffic fatalities worsened, as did fraud in all forms, which increased by 21 per cent compared to the five-year average. “Worth mentioning is a concerning trend we are seeing in youth violent crime,” McLellan also told councillors.
“It is such a concern that our most recent and upcoming community town halls are focused on youth crime and prevention.”
McLellan pinpointed this increase in crimes committed by youth as having happened in just the last six months by those between the ages of 12 and 17. She summarized these acts as including vehicle theft, robbery, and assault, and said that CPS is working with school boards and communities to help curb the trend.
“It’s a very concerning trend that we haven’t seen in quite some time, and quite violent for individuals who are between those ages,” said McLellan.
Serving as another resource for raising awareness among the city’s youth, the poster competition asks participants to curate their artwork within one of three categories: personal, community, or home safety.
Despite recent controversy sparked by the Calgary Public Library’s job posting for an AI artist-in-residence, the CPS’s contest criteria does not forbid AI specifically, but does instruct that “all work must be original and created solely for this contest.”
The date for the award ceremony has not yet been posted, but it will be hosted at the YouthLink Calgary Police Interpretive Centre — located west of Falconridge, just off McKnight Blvd NE — and is expected to take place in the summer after the school year ends.
