MANDATE:
- The purpose of the Edmonton Police Commission (Commission) Professional Standards Committee (Committee) is to monitor and oversee the public complaint process. While the Edmonton Police Service (Service) is responsible for investigating complaints, the Committee and the Public Complaint Director (PCD) ensure investigations are thorough, fair to all parties, and are conducted in accordance with laws and policies.
COMPOSITION AND OPERATIONS:
- The Committee shall have a minimum of three members appointed by the Commission, with one member designated as Chair.
- The Committee shall meet every second month unless there is agreement by the Committee members that a meeting is not required.
- The Committee can consider scheduling additional meetings in order to fulfill their mandate and to be able to make recommendations to the Commission in a timely manner.
- The Executive Director and PCD shall attend meetings as required to act as administrative support to the Committee and are not voting members.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Review all Service policies, procedures, and processes regarding the public complaint process to ensure that all complaints or expressions of concern made against the Service or its members are dealt with in a fair, equitable, and timely manner.
- Ensure that the complaint processes implemented by the Service are transparent for all parties involved and are compliant with the Police Act and Police Service Regulation.
- Ensure that the investigative and disciplinary processes put in place by the Service are fully and properly implemented by the Professional Standards Branch (PSB) or any other branches or areas within the Service that may be charged with the responsibility of dealing with complaints.
- Monitor the complaint process and conduct regular audits of complaint files as necessary or deemed appropriate.
- Recommend or report on audit outcomes and its review of the complaint investigation, informal resolution, and disciplinary processes and make recommendations to the Commission as it deems necessary or advisable.
- Monitor the progress of any investigation or informal resolution process initiated or implemented by or on behalf of the PSB and identify opportunities to improve how complaints are handled by or on behalf of the PSB including, but not limited to, identifying potential alternative dispute resolution processes and their possible uses.
- Review the reasons for any delays in the investigative process and the manner in which complaints are resolved.
- Review and make recommendations to the Commission with respect to requests by the Chief of Police to extend the time limits as set out in the Police Service Regulation.
- Monitor public perceptions as they relate to the complaint investigation and disciplinary processes and identify measures which may help to enhance public knowledge and understanding of these processes.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
- The Committee shall review the terms of reference for this committee at a minimum once every three years and make recommendations for changes to the Commission if required.
- The Chair of the Committee and/or designate shall attend, at a minimum, four Professional Standards Branch hearings and shall report back to the committee.
- The Committee shall keep records of its meetings and the Chair of the Committee shall provide reports to the Commission on the matters discussed and any recommendations for decision.
References:
- Police Act, RSA 2000, c P-17
- Police Service Regulation, AR 356/1990