OLDS — Council has voted to dissolve the Olds Policing Advisory Committee (OPAC).
That decision was made during council’s Sept. 25 meeting, effective immediately.
But not without some discussion in favour – and against – that decision.
In a memo in council’s agenda package, administrative staff recommended dissolving the committee, noting it hasn’t met for more than a year.
Chief administrative officer Brent Williams told council the recommendation was made after consulting with RCMP.
Councillors Heather Ryan and Wand Blatz opposed the motion.
"I think it’s actually a little premature to dissolve this committee. There was a lot of work put into setting it all up. Then COVID hit and then it went into hiatus,” Ryan said.
“I do believe that there is a lot of work that this committee can do.”
Ryan said according to the Alberta Municipalities website, the main point behind establishing police commissions or police committees is to provide arm’s length oversight, localizing the complaint process and increasing the accountability of police services to the public.
“Well my question to council would be ‘why wouldn’t we want that to continue? Why wouldn’t we want to make sure that we have arm’s length oversight localizing the complaint process and increasing the accountability (of police service),” Ryan asked.
“After all, we are funding the police service in this community and I do believe we should have that opportunity to have this committee in order to address all three of these things.”
Ryan said before looking at shutting down the committee, the town should consult members of the committee.
“When other committees are trying to get police advisory committees in place, commissions established, we seem to be taking back a step, and I think that that’s not a correct move to make at this point,” she said.
Blatz echoed those points.
She pointed out that Cst. Mitch Price, the town’s community resources officer, has only been in his position for several months.
"Maybe if we waited six months or a year until we get some information from that (constable), then we could go from there and maybe decide at that point in time at a later date that we would dissolve this,” she said.
However, Coun. James Cummings said the province’s Police Act has very strict rules on what polices commissions or committees can do.
He said OPAC “has no ability to do anything, the way it’s been set up. It can’t do it, it’s not legally allowed. The Police Act overrides everything that this does.”
Cummings said only police commissions can deal with complaints and those bodies can only be set up for independent police departments. Olds doesn’t fall into that category because it’s policed by a national police service, the RCMP.
“So I think unfortunately, I’m going to support this dissolving of the OPAC because it simply was the wrong way to go in my opinion,” Cummings said.
He said council needs to look into the Police Act and choose a committee or commission “that has power.”
He said keeping a policing committee that has no power is “kind of not very helpful.”
Coun. Darren Wilson asked what mechanisms are in place to ensure feedback from residents on policing is received.
Town hall meetings hosted by RCMP in various communities were mentioned as one way that feedback is obtained.
Williams said town officials have talked to RCMP about perhaps extending the hours for town hall meetings so more residents can attend and have their say.
“Regarding what residents want to see, it obviously is very important to engage with them and to understand what their expectations are so that you believe the tax dollars we’re spending with the RCMP (are well spent),” Williams said.
“But it’s also important that we be pragmatic, though. Despite how much money – we could spend $5 million -- we’d have no more control or right to control or to direct the RCMP, unless we establish our own standalone police force.”
Williams pointed out that in the end, the RCMP are controlled from Ottawa.
He said although what the committee does could be “fine-tuned,” administration’s recommendation to dissolve it was “more based around the realistic situation on the ground, that the resources will be devoted, time will be spent both from the town’s side but also from the officers’ side who are perpetually short-staffed.”
Mayor Judy Dahl and Coun. Dan Daley agreed with the points made by Williams and Cummings.
“I feel that we need to have a better and more proactive way of getting this through – to not only council but the citizens as well, when it comes to complaints,” Dahl said.
Councillors Wanda Blatz and Heather Ryan voted against the motion.
