As the Edmonton Police Service (Service) has instituted an internal whistleblower hotline for employees, contractors, and volunteers, this policy sets out specific guidelines, responsibilities, and processes regarding the anonymous disclosure of potential wrongdoing of the Chief of Police (Chief) of the Service.
The Edmonton Police Commission (Commission) is committed to creating a culture of communication, trust, and transparency and will fully investigate any bonafide allegations of improper conduct by the Chief.
Definitions:
Wrongdoing: includes, but is not limited to, contravention of the Police Act (Act) and its regulations which govern the performance of duty of police officers, committing an offense under a law of Canada, breach of Commission or Service policy, gross mismanagement, including an act or omission that is deliberate.
Guidelines:
- Only anonymous complaints submitted by internal Service staff, their contractors, and/or volunteers will be accepted. Any complaints from the general public against the Chief must go through the public complaints process as outlined in EPC Policy 1.2.5 – Complaints Against the Chief.
- All anonymous complaints against the Chief will be handled through the Public Complaint Director’s (PCD) office. Both the PCD and Executive Director of the Commission will have access to Clearview (look at BN for wording).
- As anonymous complaints do not meet the threshold requirements under Section 42.1 (4) of the Police Act and do not allow the Commission to discharge their legal responsibilities relating to complainant notification, they will not be considered a complaint under Section 42.1 of the Police Act until such time as the Commission has accepted the complaint and decided to take on the role of complainant, pursuant to section 4(c) below. Complainant notification will thereafter not be required.
- The Commission will make a preliminary assessment of all anonymous complaints to determine whether to do one or more of the following:
a) Dismiss the matter as not having merit, being frivolous, vexatious or bad faith, or not having been made on a timely basis;
b) Refer the matter to the Chief for a response;
c) Take on the role as complainant against the Chief in accordance with Section 42.1 of the Police Act and request the Minister responsible for the Police Act to direct another police force to investigate the matter. - If an investigation is done by another police force, procedures 17-22 set out in Policy 1.2.5 – Complaints Against the Chief will be followed. The Commission will make all reasonable efforts to keep an individual’s identity confidential during any potential investigation should a complaint be made under this policy and the individual(s) choose not to reveal their identity.
Procedures:
- The PCD will keep a record of all unanimous complaints against the Chief and report to the Commission at its regular monthly meetings, or as otherwise requested by the Commission.
References:
- Police Act, RSA 2000, c P – 17, s 37
- EPC Policy 1.2.5 – Complaints Against the Chief