LAW ENFORCEMENT FRAMEWORK - Open.alberta.ca

accountability; we have ever-changingtechnological advances and instant globalcommunications; crime and criminalgroups are becoming more complex andcontinually reinvent themselves; thereare increased administrative burdensand Court requirements; and mountingpressures for growth, change andredesign with limited resources.Our consultations with key stakeholdersidentified where we need to be better,stronger, and more focused. We heardthat law enforcement needs to bemodernized in a way that allows formaximum flexibility at the communitylevel while ensuring equitable access tospecialized services on a province-widebasis. Law enforcement needs to be aweb of services - coordinated, seamless,integrated and closely connected to thecommunities it serves.The Law Enforcement Framework sets outprinciples and strategic directions thatwill guide the Government of Alberta asit makes future decisions around policing.It articulates how the government willwork with communities, police servicesand other law enforcement partnersto strengthen and renew Alberta’s lawenforcement system. It sets out rolesand expectations for law enforcementpersonnel in the province; and it identifieshow to best use the law enforcementservices that are available in Alberta.The objective is a law enforcement systemthat is proactive, efficient and effective– one that supports the ability of Albertacommunities to address their uniquepolicing needs and priorities, and providessafety and security to Albertans over thelong term.At the heart of the Law EnforcementFramework is a commitment to robustcommunity policing.Community policing is an approach tocrime reduction that involves membersof the community as active participants.Community consultations, communitypartnerships, problem solving andprevention are all hallmarks of communitypolicing. Community residents playa role in identifying local crime anddisorder issues and help establish policingpriorities. Police services work proactivelyto address these priorities while remainingresponsive to community concerns.Community policing requires policingto be much more than simply reactive.Instead, front line police officers developproblem solving strategies in partnershipwith community members. Dependingon the issue and the neighbourhood,such strategies could include the useof foot patrols, community stations orother tactics designed to increase policecommunity contact and intelligencesharing. In the long term, crimeprevention strategies are introduced andimplemented throughout the community.Law Enforcement Framework9

While heavily rooted in front-linestrategies, community policing does notoperate in isolation from intelligencegathering and specialized investigativeservices. Rather, community policingaugments the techniques of intelligenceled and specialized policing services in aneffort to create an overarching networkof effective, locally-controlled and locallydriven policing.In order to be successful in providingcommunity policing, police organizationsmust be open, accountable andresponsible to public/community prioritiesand concerns. They must also adopt aphilosophical dedication to the mission ofsolving local problems in partnership withthe community.BUILDING ON SUCCESSThe Law Enforcement Framework doesnot seek to re-invent policing in theprovince. Instead, the Framework buildson the significant investments and workundertaken to date in reinforcing Alberta’slaw enforcement resources and fosteringgreater integration and accountability inthe work of law enforcement personnel.Achievements and future work include:10 Strengthening police services with theaddition of 300 new police officers; Establishing integrated gangenforcement units to operate acrossthe province;Law Enforcement Framework Hiring additional probation officers toenhance the supervision of repeatoffenders in Alberta communities; Creating the Alberta Serious IncidentResponse Team (ASIRT) to investigateserious and sensitive incidentsinvolving police officers; Creating the Alberta Law EnforcementResponse Teams (ALERT) to bettercoordinate law enforcement efforts toaddress serious types of crime; Developing a new province-widenetworked radio system that willconnect more than 700 emergencyresponder and government agencies;and Developing a provincial recordsmanagement system, the AlbertaPolice Integrated Information Initiative(API3), to facilitate informationsharing among police services in theprovince.The Law Enforcement Framework is alsosupported by a number of policy initiativesthat have been undertaken concerning theprovince’s approach to law enforcement.In 2005, the Alberta government conductedan MLA review of the Special ConstableProgram in Alberta. The review producednumerous recommendations to update andexpand the program to better meet therapidly changing demands in all areas oflaw enforcement. The recommendationswere developed after extensiveconsultations with Albertans and researchfrom across Canada and around the world.

In March 2007, Alberta hosted theRoundtable on the Future of Policing.Attended by many law enforcementstakeholders from across Alberta, theRoundtable identified key concernsthat included: civilian oversight andgovernance, the equitable provision ofpolicing services throughout Alberta andthe need for provincial leadership in thedelivery of some of those services.The Law Enforcement Framework hasalso been developed with regard toAlberta’s Crime Prevention Framework, akey outcome of the Crime Reduction andSafe Communities Task Force. The CrimePrevention Framework sets out a sharedvision and approach for crime reductionin the province, through initiatives aimedat increasing protective factors anddecreasing risk factors.The Alberta government also establishedthe Crime Reduction and SafeCommunities Task Force in 2007, to gatherinput and ideas from Albertans on waysto reduce crime, enhance communitysafety and improve public confidence inthe criminal justice system. In its report,Keeping Communities Safe, the TaskForce presented a number of findings andconsiderations for strengthening Alberta’slaw enforcement.Under Alberta’s Crime PreventionFramework, organizations and personnelin Alberta’s law enforcement system playkey roles in working with communitypartners and other governmentdepartments to identify and addresslocal needs and trends that could leadto crime. In this capacity, police servicesare envisioned as efficient, effective andbalanced in their approaches, and workingfrom a philosophy of community policing.The Law Enforcement Framework isinformed by this extensive backgroundwork. It has also been influenced bythe input and perspectives of major lawenforcement partners, including policeservices, police associations, policecommissions, policing committees, theAlberta Urban Municipalities Associationand the Alberta Association of MunicipalDistricts and Counties.Law Enforcement Framework11

LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR A GROWING PROVINCE12Law Enforcement Framework

WHERE WE ARE TODAYAlbertans are served today by a lawenforcement system that is comprised ofa number of organizations and varioustypes of personnel.The Police Act sets out the policingservices that Albertans can expect in theircommunities, and the ways in which policeservices remain accountable to Albertans.Albertans benefit from four main typesof policing in the province: municipalpolicing, regional policing, provincialpolicing and First Nations policing.Municipal Policing – The Police Actrequires urban municipalities withpopulations over 5,000 to providepolice services in their communities.Municipalities have a number ofoptions for providing police services intheir communities.The most common municipal policingarrangement in Alberta is the use ofcontract policing. Under thisarrangement, the RCMP providespolicing services to a municipalityunder a Municipal Policing Agreement(MPA). Under an MPA, a proportion ofthe costs of policing are borne by thefederal government, depending on thesize of the municipality’s population.A municipality can also establish andmaintain its own stand-alone policeservice. Six communities use thisoption: Calgary, Camrose, Edmonton,Medicine Hat, Lacombe and Taber.Regional Policing – Municipalities canalso choose to provide police services intheir communities through regionalpolicing arrangements. Under thesearrangements, the councils of two ormore municipalities enter into anagreement to have their policingprovided by one regional police service.At present there is one formalizedmunicipal regional policing arrangementin Alberta – the Lethbridge RegionalPolice Service, which provides policingto the municipalities of Lethbridgeand Coaldale.Provincial Policing – Under thePolice Act, the Alberta government isresponsible for providing policeservices for those municipalities withpopulations of 5,000 or less (towns,villages and summer villages), and toall municipal districts and counties, atno direct cost to them. The provincemeets this obligation by contractingfor the services of the RCMP to deliverpolice services to these municipalities,through a Provincial Police ServiceAgreement (PPSA), signed betweenthe Alberta and federal governments.Under the PPSA the province isresponsible for 70 percent of the costwhile the federal government pays 30percent. The PPSA also providespolice services to Métis settlements,and to First Nations communitieswhere other policing arrangementshave not been made.Law Enforcement Framework13

A Community Tripartite Agreement isan agreement between the federalgovernment, the Alberta government,and the First Nation, which providesfor additional RCMP members tosupplement the First Nationsdetachment. It also requires thoseRCMP members to spend at least 80percent of their time on reserve.Costs of policing under theseagreements are also shared betweenthe Alberta and federal governments.First Nations Policing – The RCMPprovides policing services to most ofAlberta’s First Nations communities.However, 18 First Nations communitiesin Alberta have made other policingarrangements through agreementswith the Alberta and federalgovernments. These arrangements aretypically through a Tripartite Agreementor a Community Tripartite Agreement.A Tripartite Agreement permits thecreation of a First Nation policeservice operating exclusively onreserve. The cost of First Nationspolicing under these agreements isshared by the federal and Albertagovernments, subject to theavailability of funding.Albertans are served by many types oflaw enforcement personnel, each withidentified roles and responsibilities. Inaddition to police officers, there arevarious forms of peace officers, privatesecurity personnel, and civilians.LAW ENFORCEMENT IN ALBERTAPolice and Peace Officers employed in the province in 2009First Nations Policing, 53RCMP Municipal, 960RCMP Provincial, 1289RCMP Federal, 351RCMP Other &Administration, 59Calgary, 1723Private Security, 9000*Stand-Alone Policing(incl. regional), 3503Edmonton, 1457Lethbridge, 156Medicine Hat, 113Peace Officers (includingSheriffs), 3000**Approximates14Camrose, 27Lacombe, 13Taber, 14(Source: Police Resources in Canada, 2009. Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. This is a snapshot of police resources on May 15, 2009.)Law Enforcement Framework

Police Officers – Police officers areresponsible for enforcing federal,provincial, and municipal laws,protecting life and property,preventing crime, and keeping thepeace. They have a broad range ofduties and roles, of which lawenforcement is the major role. Policeofficers investigate occurrences, arrestoffenders and bring them before thecriminal justice system. They alsoprovide a variety of communityservices including: crime prevention,educational programs, assisting inlocating missing persons, dealing withlost property, traffic control, victimassistance and collision investigation.Peace Officers – Peace officerssupplement the work of police officers,performing varied roles that assist inmaintaining the peace. Peace officersare authorized under the Peace OfficerAct, which enables the Albertagovernment to designate agencies andindividuals with peace officer statusfor specific job functions. There aretwo levels of Peace Officers in Alberta- Alberta Peace Officers andCommunity Peace Officers.Alberta Peace Officers perform arange of duties on behalf of theprovince. These can include: fraudinvestigations; fish and wildlifeenforcement; parks enforcement;traffic enforcement on Albertahighways; commercial vehicleenforcement; prisoner transport andcourt security; protection services forthe Premier, Lieutenant Governor,VIPs and other individuals; and variedinspector and compliance officersconducting enforcement underprovincial statutes.Similarly, Community Peace Officersperform a range of duties at thecommunity level. Their duties vary innature and scope depending on theunique needs and priorities of thecommunities they serve. These caninclude: working at postsecondaryinstitutions to provide a safe andsecure environment for staff andstudents; traffic enforcement inmunicipalities; enforcement of otherprovincial statutes; or other roles thatare administrative in nature.Peace officers add flexibility to lawenforcement in Alberta by providing acontinuum of personnel with variedlevels of training and authority. Thisapproach recognizes that manyenforcement roles, such as regulatorycompliance, do not require highlytrained police officers. The use ofpeace officers for these roles enablespolice officers to remain focused onmore complex and more seriouscriminal enforcement activities.Alberta is unique in Canada for itsPublic Security Peace Officer Program.Private Security Personnel –Private security personnel, such assecurity guards and privateinvestigators, have no special status inlaw nor any privileges or powersLaw Enforcement Framework15

beyond those of ordinary citizens.Private security personnel act asagents of property owners to protectprivate property, as permitted underthe Petty Trespass Act and theTrespass to Premises Act.A property owner can authorize his orher representatives (such as privatesecurity guards) to limit access to theproperty, and to arrest trespassers orindividuals found committing acriminal offence on the property.Security personnel (such as lossprevention, security guards,investigators, locksmiths, andautomotive lock bypass people) andprivate investigators are required tobe licensed by the Alberta governmentunder the Security Services andInvestigators Act.Civilian Support – Law enforcementis also supported by civilians who areeither employed by or volunteer for alaw enforcement organization. Inpolice services, there are a number ofcivilian positions that complement thework of police officers. Thesepositions can include administrativestaff, dispatch call centre staff, crimeanalysts, and forensics servicespersonnel. In addition to civilianpositions, the RCMP and some standalone municipal police have auxiliaryprograms that provide opportunitiesfor civilian volunteers to complementpolice services.16Law Enforcement FrameworkAs can be seen from the foregoing, noone agency or type of personnel is solelyresponsible for law enforcement in theprovince.Instead, a wide range of organizationsand individuals operate in variouscapacities to ensure the safety andsecurity of Albertans. The ability ofthe law enforcement system to achievethis objective depends on multipleplayers working together effectively andefficiently. However, a number of issuesand trends are challenging the ability ofpolice services to continue meeting theneeds of Alberta communities.The Law Enforcement Framework aimsto position Alberta’s law enforcementsystem to overcome these challenges,and pursue strategies and opportunitiesthat will ensure Albertans benefit frommodern, efficient and effective policingover the long-term.THE ROLE OF THE PROVINCIALGOVERNMENTThe Government of Alberta, throughthe Ministry of the Solicitor General andPublic Security, plays an important rolein coordinating government interactionwith the law enforcement communityin Alberta. This is achieved when theProvince responds to emerging criminaljustice trends or priority issues, ensures thelaw enforcement system is well structuredand supported, as well as enables victimsof crime to receive assistance during thecriminal justice process.

It is important that the Province provideleadership in the development and directionof policing. This stems from both theconstitutional responsibility of the provincialgovernment and the necessity to coordinatethe widely varying needs and services of thedifferent communities within the Province.Provincial leadership can be expressedin a variety of ways including legislation,standards, model policies, coordination ofinitiatives, direct delivery of certain servicesor projects, training, research, strategicplanning, and inter-ministerial and intergovernmental cooperation.Recognizing that municipalities and localpolice cannot be responsible for reducingcrime on their own, the Governmentof Alberta has provided a significantinvestment in policing and engaged indeveloping and funding major initiatives.These include strategies to increasethe number of front-line police officers;tackle serious, complex, and multijurisdictional crime through the ALERTmodel; and provide provincial technicaland intelligence supports through radiointeroperability and a provincial recordsmanagement system.Pursuant to the Police Act, the SolicitorGeneral and Minister of Public Security is“responsible for ensuring adequate andeffective policing is maintained throughoutAlberta”. Locally, it is the role of policeleaders, civilian oversight bodies and localgovernment to ensure law enforcementmeets the needs of the communitiesthey serve. It is the Government ofAlberta’s role to set the direction, strategicframework, performance expectations andaccountability mechanisms within whichlocal law enforcement should be delivered.Where appropriate, the provincialgovernment has a role in providingresources to ensure equity of servicesacross the province to more effectivelytackle crime and reduce victimization. It isalso the Province’s role to set the pace forimprovement and ensure law enforcementhas the legislative powers and tools tofulfill their responsibilities.Even with this investment, there are stillsignificant pressures to respond to and newchallenges to face. One example of wherethe provincial government can play animportant role is in the area of informationsharing. There are many challengesassociated with information sharing in thefield of law enforcement, driven by thevariety of provincial and federal legislationthat guides information sharing practices.Often times, different interpretationsof legislation by police and governmentdepartments interferes with practices ofsharing of information for law enforcementpurposes and can impeded thedevelopment and interaction of electronicsystems. The provincial government shouldbe a leader in find

Law Enforcement Framework 1 MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER Alberta's new Law Enforcement Framework - outlined in these pages - lays the foundation for moving forward with a new vision for the future of law enforcement in Alberta. It ensures law enforcement in Alberta is modern and well equipped to meet the needs of Albertans into the future.