WESTLOCK — The provincial government is asking for input on policing in Alberta ahead of changes to the Police Act next fall.
“Alberta’s government is committed to reforming the way policing is done in this province,” said Justice minister Kaycee Madu in a Dec. 3 press release.
“This is an important opportunity for Albertans to help us develop legislation that reflects the realities of modern policing and ensures that police remain accountable to their communities and responsive to their needs.”
The survey, available here, is only open to Albertans over the age of 18 and will close Jan. 4, 2021.
They’re asking for input on attitudes towards the police, how trusted and effective they are in communities, and how they should cooperate with social or health services.
Plus, the government wants to know how well-known and used the complaint system is by Albertans.
Police Act review
Alberta Justice says the Police Act hasn’t been amended since 1988, when it was introduced. The review, according to the government, will focus on governance and public trust and the role of police.
Indigenous policing is also one of the areas under review. Only one question on the survey asks about discrimination at the hands of police officers and there are no specific questions about Indigenous police services.
The survey comes on the heels of government meetings with law enforcement, health and social services sectors, municipalities and Indigenous communities over the fall, but work on the review started in 2018.
Earlier this year, after Black Lives Matter protests in the United States spilled into Alberta, then-minister Doug Schweitzer said the review process would be expedited to “modernize” the Act.
