Alberta’s police misconduct database is officially live

A new database looking at police misconduct in Alberta has experts optimistic it will help in holding law enforcement accountable.

The Alberta Police Misconduct Database went live Tuesday and is believed to be the first of its kind in Canada, pulling information that is already publicly available through legal documents and media reports into one centralized site.

Project lead Devyn Ens has been working on the database quietly for over 18 months, after noticing a lack of publicly available data on allegations of police misconduct.

“I think by having a neutral third party organization like my association, we’ll be able to push this to the forefront and develop these conversations around policing,” Ens told CityNews.

The Edmonton-based paralegal notes the website will be a ‘living document’ that is updated as more instances of misconduct are brought to their attention. Right now, the database goes back 30 years and includes over 400 incidents of police misconduct involving roughly 500 officers across the province.

“Many officers move up through the ranks with a history of misconduct,” Ens claimed. “I don’t think that’s acceptable.”

Criminologist Temitope Oriola says the database is ordinary but notes similar mechanisms exist for doctors or lawyers.

“In a certain sense, this is extraordinary, because it is the first of its kind in regard to policing in our province,” Oriola said.

The University of Alberta professor is on the board of directors of the association and believes this tool will help the public, academics, and even journalists understand how the current system handles misconduct.

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“We can track recidivism in law enforcement, repeat offenders,” said Oriola, noting how “one of the findings of empirical research, is that a relatively small amount of officers are responsible for a large number of [these] events.”

A spokesperson for the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) tells CityNews the EPS welcome the new database, saying “transparency and police accountability are paramount to maintaining public trust.”

“As such, the EPS welcomes any new mechanisms that promote understanding and awareness,” spokesperson Cheryl Sheppard said.

Sheppard goes on to remind Albertans of the systems in place to hold police to account, including the Alberta Serious Response Team.

“Less than one per cent of all calls for service dispatched for police response in 2021 resulted in a complaint being made, as was the case for the last five years,” explained Sheppard.

But professor Oriola doesn’t take the statement at face value, noting how police have this data internally, and research shows it often takes external action for policing to make any changes.

“It’s one thing to welcome those interventions from civil society, it’s another thing to actually take action,” said Oriola. “One of the things you will find in the database is relatively limited disciplinary measures against some of those officers.”

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For Ens, she reminds us that each line of data includes a human being affected by police misconduct.

“I would love for there not to be a need for this, but with the current system in Alberta, in Canada, across the world… I don’t think that’s a realistic expectation,” said Ens.

A spokesperson for the Alberta justice minister says they have not had time to look over the new public database. The province is reminding police services in Alberta to maintain their own databases regarding complaints against their organizations and that they are required to report to the Director of Law Enforcement when there is serious injury or death.

For several years, Alberta has been reviewing the Police Act. However, the minister’s office could not give a timeline on when we will see results, Press Secretary Joseph Dow saying, “We look forward to sharing more on this review and the steps we will be taking to ensure Albertans feel safe and are confident in our justice system.”