A total of seven people have been appointed to be members of the new Grande Prairie Police Commission. The members appointed, and announced during the May 1st meeting of council are Councillor Dylan Bressey, Councillor Kevin O’Toole, as well as community members Kelly Benning, Timothy Burnham, Donna Koch, Natalia Reiman, and Dan Wong.
The group, along with yet to be named others, will be responsible for overseeing the establishment of policies, appointing a Chief of Police, allocating funds, and ensuring sufficient staffing for the new Grande Prairie Municipal Police Service.
Mayor Clayton says the Council has confidence that the seven members appointed will serve the community well.
“Today marks a significant step towards establishing a robust, diverse, and independent policing oversight body in Grande Prairie,” says Clayton “With the appointment of these highly qualified community members to the Police Commission, we can ensure that our city’s policing needs are met with accountability, transparency, and professionalism.”
The group is said to have a strong background in knowledge of law, indigenous advocacy, business, community affairs, non-profit work, finance, human resources, conflict resolution, and public safety, as well as one of them serve in city council before.
More information on the New Grande Prairie Municipal Police Service can be found here.