The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) is contesting the appointments of two people chosen to oversee its actions, asking the Alberta government in an unprecedented move to intervene and investigate members recently selected by Edmonton city council.
Leadership with the Edmonton Police Service asked Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis Wednesday to intervene to review council’s vetting process and its choice of Daniel Jones and Renée Vaugeois to sit on the Edmonton Police Commission (EPC) because of unspecified “public-facing activities,” according to a Thursday news release.
“The application addresses two points. First, it seeks ministerial intervention in city council’s process for EPC appointments, which must meet the obligations outlined in the Police Act,” the statement reads.
“EPS is concerned about the erosion of the governance relationship between city council and the EPC, which serves a vital role as the guardian of public trust providing civilian governance and oversight of the service.”
EPS declined to give specifics of their concerns, saying only that they “generally relate to public-facing activities undertaken by the two appointees in either private or professional capacities.”
“EPS seeks to ensure that all EPC appointees can and will perform the important and necessary functions of the role as commissioners diligently, faithfully, to the best of their ability and according to law. A failure to manage the issues raised by the city council appointments threatens to overshadow and impact the EPC’s ability to conduct its business, much of which will focus on the significant task of naming of a new chief of police in the coming months.”
Source: Edmonton Journal