Temitope Oriola, PhD Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Alberta (Photo: U of A/John Ulan)

By rdnewsNOW staff

U of A professor

Alberta names special adviser for Police Act review

Feb 24, 2021 | 9:20 AM

The provincial government has appointed a special adviser to help with its review of the Police Act.

Temitope Oriola, an associate professor of criminology at the University of Alberta, has been appointed for a six-month term. He will provide independent advice to the government as it weighs policy options raised in ongoing stakeholder discussions that began in the fall, the province says in a release.

“With a body of research and published articles on law enforcement issues, Dr. Oriola brings specialized experience and knowledge to reforming policing in Alberta,” says Kaycee Madu, Minister of Justice and Solicitor General. “Dr. Oriola’s academic expertise and lived experience will also help us shape the ongoing engagement with diverse and racialized communities and ensure that our work to modernize policing in Alberta continues to be inclusive.”

“I am pleased to support the retooling of the Police Act to reduce excessive use of force, ensure officer safety and enhance trust in and legitimacy of police organizations,” Oriola says. “As a professor of criminology and person of colour, my goal is a more harmonious relationship between the police and all communities, particularly minority communities.”

Since last September, the Alberta government says it has held 13 engagement sessions attended by approximately 200 organizations representing law enforcement, health and social services sectors, municipalities and Indigenous communities.

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In addition, 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, processes for handling complaints from the public and officer discipline.

The province says these discussions and the survey responses will guide changes to the Police Act expected this fall.