The Edmonton Police Commission (Commission) is committed to building positive relationships with all members of the Edmonton community.

This policy sets out expectations for commissioners when interacting with external individuals or groups, as well as for conducting community engagement or advocacy on behalf of the Commission.

Definitions:

Interested Party or Parties: An individual or group organization with a vested interest in the activities and decision-making process of the Commission. These may include but are not limited to:

• Indigenous and First Nations leaders, communities and people;
• Individuals who live or work within the City of Edmonton;
• Community organizations or special interest groups or committees (e.g., advocacy groups, youth groups, senior groups, newcomers, cultural groups);
• Organizations that serve marginalized communities; and
• Business groups.

Outreach: Planned contact or interactions with external interested parties outside of Commission meetings.

Guidelines:

1. The Commission will strive to better understand public safety issues and needs by listening to the community to help inform policy decisions based on a comprehensive understanding of issues.
2. The Commission will seek to build positive relationships with external interested parties to further its strategic goals and promote effective community policing.
3. The Commission will recognize and respect the identity and unique nature of all communities, including their cultural diversity, and their potentially differing needs and perspectives.
4. The Commission will deploy different communication tools and mechanisms which meet the needs of diverse cultures and communities.
5. Individual Commissioners are encouraged to engage in outreach with interested parties where alignment exists to further the Commission’s strategic goals.
6. All outreach activities with interested parties must be conducted ethically and adhere to policies 4.2.1 – Code of Conduct and 6.1.1 – Communications and Media Relations.

Procedures:

1. Administration, with input from the Commission, will develop a yearly engagement plan which is equitable and inclusive.
2. Administration will proactively seek opportunities for Commissioners to participate in outreach and engagement with interested parties.
3. In instances where individual commissioners are initiating outreach with a particular interested party they will, prior to commencing the outreach, inform Administration of the following:
   • Name(s) of individual interested party and organization;
   • Date, time and location of meeting or event;
   • Meeting topic; and
   • Purpose of meeting and desired outcomes.
4. Administration will track outreach activities with interested parties and provide a report to Commissioners annually.

References:

1. 4.1.1 – Roles and Duties of Commission Members
2. 4.2.1 – Code of Conduct Policy