Smith defends provincial appointments to police commission

By COLLIN GALLANT on May 24, 2023.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Adding provincial appointees to local police commissions is part of the United Conservative promise to tackle addictions and ensure provincial government priorities are aligned with local efforts, Danielle Smith tells the News.

The News was first to report that the province named two additional members to the local police oversight body just prior to the election being called, and those appointees would be revealed and added in June.

That followed controversy in Calgary and Edmonton where city council’s objected to the change.

“We always want the majority of the commission to be appointed locally, but policing is a provincial responsibility and, importantly, mental health and addiction also,” Smith told the News.

“Policing has changed a lot in the last few years,” she said, with calls related to “social disorder” caused by drug addiction increasing.

“We want to provide that oversight to divert those cases” to provincial assistance, mental health and recovery programs, she said.

Gwendoline Dirk, the NDP candidate opposing Smith in the Brooks-Medicine Hat riding, joined the local commission last year, and is on a leave to run in the election

Her campaign did not respond to requests for comment by the News, but Dirk did put out a social media statement when the issue arose in major centres.

“So we don’t trust our city councils now to choose their own police commission members?” she wrote. “This is gross overreach by the province… Does Danielle Smith really get to control all facets of our province?”

Smith, in Medicine Hat last week to campaign for re-election, told the News that policing is a special case, and there did not seem to be a need to add provincial government presence to other local boards, such as school boards, where the province provides all funding but local electors choose the entire board.

Medicine police are already part of a pilot partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association to deploy crisis mental health workers to certain calls to alleviate the burden on police resources.

In Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta Sheriffs began working with local officers this spring to provide additional presence in downtowns.

Changes made in the Police Act late last year provided the power for the province to add members to the local commissions, something common in other provinces.

Medicine Hat commission members say they had no forewarning of the change when they were notified last month. The switch was initially slated to take place next year, but was enacted in late April.

Specific candidates were named – the News has learned they are Miles Johnson, a retired city police officer and Alberta Sheriff, and Elenor Robles, of whom little is known.

An “onboarding” process that could include police background checks and orientation training could continue through this month. City council will have to change the commission’s organizational bylaw to reflect the new composition.

Coun. Andy McGrogan doesn’t sit on the commission, but was police chief reporting to the commission prior to his retirement in 2020.

He told the News the changes were enacted without an explanation or consultation, and he feels that since 80 per cent of the police budget is paid via local property taxes, the move is “disrespectful to taxpayers.”

The province provides a general grant of $1.6 million to the Medicine Hat Police Service, which has a budget this year of about $22.5 million, as well as, refunds a portion of provincial fine revenue.

The police commission is composed of two city council members and four members of the public, who apply and are appointed by council.

Each year the city advertises available positions and council members approve the selections by secret ballot.

This year, council voted to develop a list of specific qualifications for appointees of all boards, including the commission, to improve recruitment.