Councilor Anne Stevenson has called for more transparency from the Edmonton police commission to help foster public trust by opening up their private meetings. The councilor, who also serves as commissioner, said that there needs to be a “cultural shift” in the police body.
“I think there’s been a different culture and expectation around the role that commission plays, (and) it is really meant to be very much an independent oversight body and needs to be exerting itself in that role,” she told the media after holding a public meeting between city council and the commission. Stevenson adds that this perceived cultural shift will help bring more oversight to the body and help others become more comfortable about asking police leadership hard questions.
In the past, there have been those that ask police leaders these hard questions, but they were mostly behind closed doors, the councilor also noted. She believes that the value of governing in public should be upheld for better community participation and civil leadership. “Anything that can be public should be public,” added the councilwoman.
Before Councilor Anne Stevenson gave this statement, the city council and police commission held its first public meeting. Before this meeting, most gatherings happened behind closed doors, most notably in February when all meetings were confidential. These private meetings brought about concerns about transparency and authenticity, raising criticism towards police enforcement. The concern comes at a crucial time as Freedom Convoys and commission chairman John McDougall’s opinion article made headlines.
In the past, the mayor honored and defended desire for privacy, saying that it allowed commissioners and police leaders to share “personal stories.” But for leaders like Stevenson, Edmontonians benefit more when these meetings are made available to anyone who wants to listen in.
“I think being able to be more transparent, share more openly, can help counteract and address that narrative,” Councilor Stevenson said. “A lot of mistrust comes from a lack of information sharing.”
