Residency requirements under scrutiny after Edmonton Police Commission head quits

December 18, 2024 Canuck

A day after the head of the Edmonton Police Commission quit his position after news of his plans to stay on after moving to Europe surfaced, another member of it is facing scrutiny for not living in the city.

Wally Sinclair, who lives in Lac La Biche and has been a commissioner for two years, told CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday he’s been proud to bring a rural and Indigenous perspective to commission discussions as police have regular interactions with people from those backgrounds.

“The commission work I’ve found very moving and I love the team concept,” said Sinclair, an Indigenous elder, veteran and resident of the town 169 kilometres northeast of Edmonton. “(There’s) a lot of knowledge around that table.”

The 12 members of the police commission establish policies that guide the Edmonton Police Service and its officers.

On Tuesday, John McDougall stepped down as chair of the commission effective immediately after revealing he planned to finish the rest of his term, which was supposed to run through 2026, while living in Portugal.

Jo Anne Wright, one of two city councillors who sit on the commission, said Wednesday she recalls the time a few years ago when council removed the requirement for commissioners to live in Edmonton in an effort to attract more perspectives to it.

“We did have a commissioner come on that wasn’t a resident of Edmonton-proper, however has multiple connections with the city, with different organizations,” said Wright, who represents Ward Sspomitapi in southeast Edmonton.

That commissioner was Sinclair.

Since being appointed in late 2022, Sinclair has come to the city frequently for commission meetings. He has experience in social services and addictions counseling in addition to his Indigenous and rural Alberta backgrounds.

“A lot of the … issues (that are) coming to the table are from a rural perspective, and you have to do a little bit more homework,” Sinclair told CTV News Edmonton.

Sinclair’s term is up at the end of the month along with those of three of his colleagues. City council will be replacing or reappointing them soon. The commission needs a new chair, who will help guide the body as it works to hire a new police chief.

Wright said she has been “comfortable” with Sinclair’s appointment but that council should “perhaps … take another look at a residency requirement so we don’t have these problems going forward.”

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