The Alberta government voted 46-15 to pass the Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act (PSSAA). The vote was split along party lines, with Alberta United Conservative Party MLAs and Independent MLA Jennifer Johnson (Lacombe-Ponoka) voting for the PSSAA and NDP MLAs opposing it. “Motion is carried and so ordered,” said Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta Nathan Cooper at a Tuesday meeting. Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis said the government “is continuing to improve safety and security in all of our communities.” “That includes responding to the needs of rural populations,” said Ellis. “Mr. Speaker, all Albertans deserve to feel secure in their communities.” If passed, Ellis said the PSSAA enables the creation of a new independent police agency. He added the police agency will allow the police-like functions done by the Alberta Sheriffs to be arms length from the government and continue to augment policing models. The police agency will work with the RCMP and municipal and indigenous police to strengthen law enforcement across Alberta. It will have oversight and accountability. He called oversight and accountability “critical components in ensuring proper governance and transparency in any system, and it ensures laws, regulations, and ethical standards are being followed.” By having oversight and accountability measures in place, he said it prevents corruption, misconduct, and unethical behaviour. If passed, he said it guarantees offenders out on bail are held accountable by using electronic monitoring to track them. He said Albertans are tired of having repeat offenders out on bail reoffending. He accused the Canadian government of making Canada less safe, as repeat offenders face few consequences. Because of Bill C-75, he said the criminal justice system is allowing criminals to get away with their actions. The Canadian government has introduced Bill C-48 to deal with repeat offenders. While the Alberta government assesses Bill C-48, he said it will do whatever it takes to protect communities. Ellis concluded by saying the Alberta government is taking a firm stance against crime, and the PSSAA is no exception. Alberta NDP MLA Sharif Haji (Edmonton-Decore) said the PSSAA is another broken promise from the government. “The premier said they would not pursue a provincial police force,” said Haji. “With this legislation creating independent police agency services, it’s the architecture of creating an Alberta Police Force (APF).” Haji alleged the Alberta government has a problem with transparency with its plans. If it creates the APF, he said it would be costly to Albertans. The Alberta government brought forward the PSSAA to enable the creation of an independent police agency in March. READ MORE: UPDATED: Alberta government introduces bill about independent police agency, ankle bracelets“These changes are part of a broader paradigm shift that reimagines police as an extension of the community rather than as an arm of the state,” said Ellis. “Having a new police agency perform these functions under the legal framework of policing legislation will ensure they’re carried out with the transparency, accountability and independence which Albertans should expect from law enforcement.”
