By rdnewsNOW staff

Police Amendment Act

Province aiming to give Albertans a voice in setting policing priorities

Sep 29, 2024 | 11:18 AM

An order in council was signed this past week containing new regulations for Alberta’s Police Amendment Act, 2022, which comes into force March 1, 2025.

According to government officials, this important piece of legislation will strengthen RCMP ties to the communities they serve and improving police accountability by mandating civilian governance bodies for municipalities policed by the RCMP.

Government officials say the creation of the municipal and regional policing committees and the Provincial Police Advisory Board will ensure large and small municipalities have a role in setting province-wide policing priorities and performance goals for the RCMP to ensure service delivery reflects and addresses local needs.

The changes coming into force through the amendments and new regulations are said to represent a collaborative effort on the part of municipalities, the RCMP and Alberta’s government to improve public safety in communities throughout the province.

“By creating new civilian governance bodies, we’re responding to Albertans’ long-standing desire for more say in how the RCMP police their communities while advancing a paradigm shift that sees local police across the province as an extension and a reflection of the communities they serve,” explains Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services. “Unique communities have unique public safety priorities and the creation of civilian governance bodies will address this issue. Creating mandatory civilian governance bodies also ensures accountability, as officers will be held responsible for their actions and behaviour.”

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“Amendments to the Police Act support your Alberta RCMP’s ongoing efforts to ensure that communities have a strong voice in their policing priorities,” reiterates Deputy Commissioner Rob Hill, commanding officer, Alberta RCMP. “In particular, it will assist our work on local resourcing, responding to calls for mental health and addictions issues, targeting prolific offenders, and dealing with hate crimes. The Alberta RCMP welcomes any changes or enhancements to oversight and governance that help us meet the needs of the communities we serve.”

“Our association’s 265-member communities welcome the provincial government’s effort to build stronger ties between the RCMP and the communities they serve,” shares Tyler Gandam, president, Alberta Municipalities. “We hope these policing committees and the Provincial Police Advisory Board lead to improved public safety in communities throughout Alberta.”

Municipal and regional policing committees

Communities with municipal policing contracts and populations of more than 15,000 will be required to appoint municipal policing committees to oversee RCMP service delivery for their area. Government officials say these committees will work with elected municipal officials to set policing priorities for the community, report on initiatives to support those goals, and create safety plans with their local RCMP detachments, authorities and agencies.

RCMP-policed communities with populations between 5,000 and 15,000 will be represented by regional policing committees to which they will be required to recruit and appoint members. The government says these civilian committees will represent the interests and concerns of the public to the RCMP leadership in their district, work with local officials to identify and address public safety concerns for their region, and report on the implementation of programs and services to address them.

The Provincial Police Advisory Board

Small and rural communities policed by the RCMP with populations under 5,000 will be represented by a new advisory board. Government officials say the Provincial Police Advisory Board will represent the interests and concerns of Albertans in these communities, support integrated safety planning and liaise with Alberta’s government, the RCMP and municipalities to align policing priorities and resources to help address local concerns and challenges. The 15-person board will include dedicated seats for representatives from Alberta Municipalities, Rural Municipalities of Alberta, and First Nations and Métis communities, as well as community representation for each of the province’s RCMP districts.

Alberta government quick facts

• The Police Amendment Act, 2022 received royal assent on Dec. 15, 2022, with the aim of improving police accountability, strengthening ties with communities and enhancing public confidence by reforming existing policing practices.
  • The Police Amendment Act, 2022 made a number of amendments to the Police Act, including the creation of civilian governance bodies in jurisdictions policed by the RCMP.
• The Public Safety Statutes Amendment Act, 2024 received royal assent on May 16, and included amendments that allow for the regulation of municipal police committee memberships.
• Both the Police Amendment Act, 2022 amendments and the new regulations created to support these municipal and regional civilian governance bodies will come into force on March 1, 2025.

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