The Alberta government has introduced Bill 6 — the Police Amendment Act to make law enforcement more accountable. The Alberta government said on Thursday it is working to ensure police are more accountable and more responsive to the communities they serve. “Police should have a strong connection to their community, functioning as a police service that is an extension of the people it serves rather than a strong arm of the government,” said Alberta Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis. “This first major update to the Police Act in generations is a blueprint for building police services in Alberta that embody that principle, with reforms that strengthen accountability, give communities more input and promote diversity." If passed, the Police Amendment Act will establish an independent agency, the Police Review Commission, to handle complaints against the police so Albertans can have greater confidence police are no longer investigating themselves. This proposal is part of the first major overhaul of the Police Act in 34 years and would improve public confidence, reduce barriers for Albertans, and see complaints resolved more quickly.“This is a good news story,” said Ellis. During the announcement, the Western Standard asked Ellis if this legislation is the beginning of a provincial police force in Alberta.“No decisions have been made on that,” he said. The legislation would create more public oversight by establishing formal civilian bodies in all Alberta jurisdictions policed by the RCMP, responding to a long-standing desire from those communities for a stronger role in setting policing priorities. Proposed reforms also reimagine police as a responsive extension of the community. Under the new legislation, police would be required to develop community safety plans in collaboration with partner organizations focusing on crime prevention and alternatives to enforcement, such as addiction treatment, housing, and employment supports.As part of the community response, police would be required to develop diversity and inclusion plans to reflect the diverse and distinct communities they serve and to better understand local community needs. Municipalities with stand-alone police services must have a police commission to provide independent oversight. Municipalities with a Municipal Police Service Agreement (MPSA) with the RCMP have the option to form policing committees to act on behalf of mayor and council for police oversight. If the act is passed, changes will create new civilian governance bodies including a provincial police advisory body for communities receiving RCMP policing through the Provincial Police Service Agreement. Local police governance bodies for municipalities with a population larger than 15,000 and a Municipal Police Agreement with the RCMP, with flexibility to coordinate with neighbouring communities and regional governance zones for municipalities with a population smaller than 15,000 and an MPSA with the RCMP (with an option to form a local governance body instead of participating in a zone model, if they choose).“We are pleased to see amendments to the Police Act move forward and welcome changes that we believe are well aligned with the strategic direction of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) and priorities we are hearing expressed from stakeholders,” EPS Police Chief Dale McFee. “Our strategic plan similarly is focused on growing options for diversion from the criminal justice system, and boosting diversity and inclusion initiatives." EPS amendments would ensure every death and serious injury involving law enforcement is investigated independently and consistently. This would be achieved by expanding the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team’s (ASIRT) mandate to include cases involving peace officers employed by the province and municipalities. “Changes to update our Police Act are long overdue," said Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police President Mark Neufeld."We have advocated for several years that the act needs reform to bring it more in line with the realities of the modern police workplace."To enhance transparency and promote public trust, the proposed new act creates standardized categories of complaints against police. This would establish a consistent framework for how the new independent oversight agency triages complaints and improve the public’s understanding of the process. Starting in 2018, an extensive stakeholder engagement included meetings with about 200 organizations representing law enforcement, health and social services sectors, municipalities, indigenous organizations, and nonwhite communities.Almost 15,000 Albertans completed a public survey that covered several topics related to law enforcement, such as the role of police in the community. A survey was also sent out to the law enforcement community and about 1,500 responses were received.
