Dan Jones leaves police commission after EPS asks province to investigate 2 appointments – Edmonton

The tumultuous relationship between the Edmonton Police Service (EPS), the commission that oversees it, and city council had a new wrench thrown into it Thursday when EPS revealed it has asked the Alberta government to intervene in the appointment of ​​two new commission members – which led to one of them voluntarily resigning.

The news came just hours after the Edmonton Police Commission (EPC) held its first meeting of the year.

The two individuals in question are criminologist Dan Jones, who for 25 years was a member of the Edmonton Police Service and wore many hats during that time, including homicide detective, undercover officer, foot patrol and gang unit member.

He has since earned a master’s degree in criminology from the University of Cambridge and is head of justice studies at NorQuest College.

Jones told Global News Thursday afternoon that he was unable to comment on the situation because at Thursday’s EPC meeting, the commission had (confidential) on-camera conversations about the situation.

Later in the day, Jones released a statement through the police commission that he was resigning.

“In joining the Edmonton Police Commission, my goal was to be able to serve our community in a different way,” Jones said in a statement.

“I did not anticipate that providing this service to my fellow Edmontonians would cause such consternation and concern as a result of a real or perceived conflict of interest that may or may not be determined.”

Jones said he didn’t want his tenure to be clouded or overshadowed by the concerns of the next two years.

“I believe the community would be best served by my resignation from the commission.”

The other new commissioner with whom the EPS takes issue is Renée Vaugeois: who has been executive director of the John Humphrey Center for Peace and Human Rights for 20 years.

Vaugeois has led initiatives addressing poverty, policing and youth aging out of care, and founded the Stride Advocacy program to support marginalized people navigating human rights systems.

Global News has contacted Vaugeois for comment.

The Edmonton Police Commission oversees the police service and is made up of both elected officials and community members who meet monthly.

The EPC includes two city councilors — the current members are Anne Stevenson and Jo-Anne Wright — plus seven members appointed by the city council and up to five members appointed by the Government of Alberta.

Jones and Vaugeois were two of four new members appointed to the commission by the city council in late December for two-year terms. According to EPS, the province is expected to announce its additional members in the coming weeks.

The Edmonton Police Service said it submitted an application Wednesday to Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis requesting ministerial intervention in the appointments of Jones and Vaugeois.

It is not known why the police dislike their appointments and are asking for an investigation.

“Due to the application of privacy laws, EPS can only identify the names of these public officials and not the nature of the concerns, which generally relate to public-facing activities carried out by the two appointees in either a private or professional capacity,” a news release from the police said.

Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he was disappointed that EPS did not try to address its concerns with the city first.

“I am disappointed that the concerns raised by the EPS were raised with the Minister before being directly with the City Council,” Sohi said in a statement Thursday night.

“This approach may deter members of the public from serving on the Edmonton Police Commission in the future and may erode confidence in the commission as an arm’s-length governing body.”

Sohi said all Edmonton police commissioners are appointed “through a robust and open recruitment process open to members of the public, and all candidates undergo an enhanced security clearance and criminal records check.”

The EPS said it can request an inquiry under the Police Act, which allows it to “refer disputes about the appointment of commissioners to the Minister, who may then intervene when they determine that it is desirable to do so.”

EPS said the application addresses two points.

First, it is seeking ministerial interference in the city council’s process for EPC appointments, which it said must meet the obligations outlined in the Police Act.

“EPS is concerned about the erosion of the governance relationship between the city council and the EPC, which serves a vital role as guardian of the public trust, providing civilian governance and oversight of the service.”

Second, it seeks ministerial interference in the special appointments of Vaugeois and Jones.

Relations between the police commission and the council have soured over the past year, with the two bodies embroiled in back-and-forth disputes over issues such as transparency.

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Last summer, the commission asked for a mediator to help mend the relationship and then proposed that city council members no longer serve on the civilian body that oversees city policing.

Sohi said the council has been actively working to improve its relationship with the commission.

Mike Ellis said on Thursday that the ongoing dysfunction between police and councils is having a negative impact on public safety, confidence and the ability to deliver adequate and effective policing.

He also did not reveal the exact nature of the concerns raised by EPS.

“The allegations in this complaint are neither frivolous nor frivolous, and the choice to launch an investigation is not an easy one. The risk of eroding public trust is too high. It cannot be tolerated in Edmonton or in any part of Alberta,” Ellis said in a statement to Global News.

The minister went on to add that he intends to launch an investigation into the alleged dysfunction.

“I understand that the two posts being contested have agreed that it would be appropriate to step down while an investigation was held. I agree and therefore the two posts being contested will be put on hold , until the investigation is completed and all circumstances are considered,” he added.

“I want to emphasize the importance of collaboration as I navigate this critical time.”

Ellis said he would provide more details about the scope of his investigation in the coming days.

Edmonton police said it has notified everyone involved of its application to the province, but will not release further details until privacy is addressed.

“The EPS maintains that the underlying concerns will hinder the ability of newly appointed individuals to fully function in their roles as commissioners and will hamper the EPC’s ability to monitor the service and ensure that the required standards continue to be met,” the EPS said the news release.

It went on to say:

“EPS respects the commission’s function and remains committed to working with the EPC for the purposes of community safety, organizational accountability and public transparency. EPS seeks to ensure that all EPC appointees can and will diligently perform the important and necessary functions of the role of commissioner , faithfully, to the best of his ability and according to the law.

A failure to address the issues raised by the council appointments threatens to overshadow and affect the EPC’s ability to conduct its business, much of which will focus on the significant task of appointing a new police chief in the coming months.”

Edmonton Police Service Chief Dale McFee will hand in his badge on Friday, February 21, and has accepted a job as the premier’s top bureaucrat.

As of the following Monday, McFee will become Deputy Minister of the Executive Council and head of the Alberta Public Service.

Global News reached out to the Edmonton Police Service for an interview with the chief about why the investigation has been requested, but at the time of publication had not heard back.