Joann Fox: Mapping a Safer Future

When Joann Fox started university, she dreamed of becoming a psychologist. But one failed calculus course changed everything—and set her on a path that would eventually help transform public safety in Edmonton.

“I failed calculus and that failure in calculus actually catapulted me into a direction of geography and GIS,” she said, laughing. That moment didn’t close a door. It opened one. Today, Joann is the Manager of Business Analytics, Intelligence, and Reporting at the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), where her work with geospatial data is saving lives.

At its core, Joann’s work is about helping people. She leads a team that ensures police and emergency responders have trusted, timely information when it matters most. Whether it’s locating a missing person, analyzing crime trends, or helping officers on the ground respond to calls faster, Joann and her team turn data into decisions. “Everything happens somewhere,” she said, explaining the power of GIS—geographic information systems.

“And that’s especially true in policing and public safety.”

But Joann’s path hasn’t been without resistance. “We’re all creatures of habit—especially in policing,” she noted. Many officers rely on their intuition and years of street experience. Getting them to trust technology was a challenge.

“The biggest struggle wasn’t the technology—it was the adoption,” she said. “People get overwhelmed if it’s too flashy, too complex.”

So Joann found another way. She became, as she put it, “annoying”—but in the best way. She made maps simple. She chased down executives in elevators. She asked the hard questions. And when EPS launched its Operations Intelligence Command Center in 2017, she made sure GIS was at the core. “If we hadn’t pushed for that, we’d be a lot further behind,” she said.

Still, doubt lingers. Not in the value of the work—but in the pressure of getting it right.

“Sometimes we move forward with such force, we forget the person at the other end,”

Joann admitted. A product that seems groundbreaking to a data analyst might be frustrating for someone in the field. That humility—recognizing what you don’t know and listening more than you talk—has shaped her leadership. “It’s okay to fail. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Let’s just get it out, improve it, and keep going.”

The impact? A city that’s safer, smarter, and more transparent. The EPS now integrates real-time bus data, dispatch feeds, and live maps to help officers track suspects or respond to incidents more efficiently. They’re also developing a public-facing data and analytics hub—proof that open dialogue builds trust.

For Joann, the mission is deeply personal.

“I live here. I’m raising my children here,” she said. “And knowing that my work is making a difference in this community—that drives me every day.”