Calgary Police increases transparency with complaint system

Calgary Police are trying to become more transparent when it comes to concerns and complaints they receive from the public.

Two new reports have been added to its website outlining the number of complaints the service receives and the outcome of the ones that could not be solved informally.

Manager of the Ethics and Accountability Division Murray Stooke says it also includes new webpages explaining the process of filing a complaint.

“On review of the website it was just out of date, there wasn’t a great deal of information there that explained to the public on how the complaints process actually worked, the steps that were required to be taken under the police act, how a complainant might contact us.”

Stooke adds these suggestions come from the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police that want to see a civilian led body investigating complaints surrounding officer conduct.

“Additionally the association suggested the process for investigating concerns and complaints need to be shortened and streamlined so that presiding officers in charge of professional conduct hearings should be appointed by the province instead of the chief of police.”

Stooke adds the most common concern they receive from Calgarians is about how officers handle people’s complaints.

Out of the over thirteen hundred complaints filed last year, about 92 per cent were resolved informally while 79 had to go through a formal investigation.

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