Cookie Monster caught blue-handed stealing Smile Cookies on first day of fundraiser

Members of the Edmonton Police Service caught Cookie Monster stealing cookies that were meant to be decorated for the start of the Tim Hortons Smile Cookie campaign on APril 27, 2026. (Dave Mitchell / CTV News Edmonton)

Edmonton Police Service’s tactical team was called in to apprehend a thief Monday.

Families from Radius Health’s Pregnancy Pathways program, all of whom have or are currently experiencing homelessness, were invited to decorate Tim Hortons’ Smile Cookies at the Edmonton Convention Centre for the first day of the fundraising campaign for Edmonton Police Foundation.

“Today was supposed to be just a nice kickoff,” said foundation executive director Elisha Jackson.

But the cookies meant to be decorated could not be found.

“Everything we saw at the scene – the amount of crumbs, the volume of the cookies that were stolen – we really dialed in pretty early on this one that it was going to be the Cookie Monster,” recalled deputy chief Derek McIntyre.

“We sent the description to our tactical team, who just happened to be up in the rafters here at the lovely convention centre, and that’s where the Cookie Monster was trying to make the escape. Our tactical team members nabbed him, cinched him up, and then safely lowered him down on a rappel rope so that he could help us find where the cookies were,” McIntyre said.

“He agreed to give the cookies back. He said he was sorry for what he had done.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen the kids happier, so this is a great day for them,” Pregnancy Pathways program manager Lesley Spry-Shandro said after the show was over.

All of the proceeds from this year’s Smile Cookie program will go to the Edmonton Police Foundation’s youth programs.

Last year, the campaign raised about $400,000 for the foundation, according to McIntyre.

The foundation works with Pregnancy Pathways throughout the year, providing supplies like clothing and backpacks, or gifts during the holidays.

“We want them to have a positive perception of police,” Jackson said of putting on events for youth. “It builds trust so that they grow up trusting police, and they’ll be less likely to enter cycles of crime in the future.”

Smile Cookies will be available for sale until May 3.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Dave Mitchell