Statement
The Commission has discussed, at length, the recent tragic events in Chinatown. We wish to express our deepest condolences to all of the family, friends and community members affected by these events.
The Commission heard from members of the public and community about how these events have impacted them, along with concerns about how the accused individual arrived in Edmonton. After careful consideration, legal advice, and discussion on the best way to provide transparency, oversight and governance, the Commission has decided to seek an external independent third party with a strong legal background to assist in reviewing the circumstances of the individual’s arrival and stay in Edmonton.
The Commission must not interfere, or be seen to interfere, with police investigations or possible future justice proceedings with respect to this case, or any other matter. With this in mind, the independent third party will work with the Commission to develop a scope of work designed to:
- assess how and when the Edmonton Police Service interacted with the accused person;
- examine applicable police policies;
- review publicly available reports or proceedings from other bodies such as the RCMP, Probation, or the court process;
- provide updates to the Commission with respect to knowledge gained through monitoring ongoing processes/proceedings; and
- produce a final report for the Commission once all legal proceedings are concluded or could commence. This report will outline all known information, potential gaps in knowledge, and recommend how the Commission could address knowledge gaps going forward.
- We anticipate a final report being available within a few months after the conclusion of legal proceedings.
We will exercise good governance, inform ourselves with information as it becomes available, and after the ongoing legal proceedings conclude, we will assess if there are outstanding issues for the Commission that require further exploration. The Commission will share updates with the public as they become available.
The Edmonton Police Commission is committed to our Vision and Mission with respect to ‘Inspiring Trust’, ‘Effective Oversight’, and ‘Transparency’. Full details on our Mission and Vision can be found at: https://edmontonpolicecommission.com/
The Commission is unable to provide any further comment on this matter at this time but is committed to keeping the public updated on this process as it unfolds.
For media inquiries contact:
Matthew Barker
Edmonton Police Commission
780-414-7508
matthew.barker@edmontonpolice.ca