Police commissioner asks Sohi to probe `ethical issue'

Lawyer accuses colleague of trying to influence an investigation

An Edmonton police commissioner is asking Mayor Amarjeet Sohi to investigate a fellow police commission member over an alleged “ethical issue,” but the mayor says he has no authority to do so.

On Friday, police commissioner Ashvin Singh sent a letter to Sohi, claiming Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson, who sits on the Edmonton Police Commission, “has attempted on numerous occasions to actively influence an investigation of one of her close contacts, Duncan Kinney.”

Kinney is executive director of Progress Alberta, a left-leaning news and advocacy organization based in Edmonton.

Singh declined to comment on the letter or specify the focus of the alleged investigation.

Kinney and Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Chief Dale Mcfee, however, have sparred in recent months over Kinney's access to media events and news releases — an issue Stevenson asked about at the March 17 police commission meeting.

Stevenson said she disagreed with Singh's characterization of her actions, but declined to discuss specifics.

Sohi's office issued a statement saying the mayor had no jurisdiction to investigate the conduct of either councillors or commissioners.

The police commission is made up of two councillors and nine council-appointed community members who oversee the Edmonton Police Service.

The commission's meetings have become increasingly acrimonious in recent years as it debates thorny issues of police funding.

Last month, Commissioner Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse said Stevenson should step down or be removed from the commission over an alleged conflict of interest involving a former employee.

In the June 3 letter, Singh told Sohi he “gained knowledge in the last week and a half” which his ethical obligations as a lawyer required him to disclose.

A senior associate at Dentons focused on tax law, Singh claimed Stevenson “not only contacted (Chief Mcfee), but counsel to the chief to attempt to accelerate or otherwise influence the outcome” of the alleged investigation.

He also claimed Stevenson has been in touch with Kinney's lawyer.

“As a lawyer, my view is that this is not only a breach of protocol but a serious ethical concern,” wrote Singh. “This goes beyond asking questions. Statutorily, the police commission is the governing body of the Edmonton Police Service and the intention of that statutory regime is to segregate that body from political influence.”

Singh further claimed Stevenson “intends to adjudicate a complaint against (Mcfee), in her capacity as a commissioner.”

“I cannot work with a commissioner who believes that it is appropriate to allow political influence in an investigation,” Singh concluded.

“I believe that this involvement in an active adjudicative process is inappropriate and encourage you to attend to this immediately.”

In an interview, Stevenson said she believes it is “incumbent on any commissioner, if they have a concern around ethics, to be raising that,” but added, “I don't agree with the characterization of my actions, as he's described them.”

In response to Singh's letter, Tom Engel, Kinney's lawyer, demanded specifics about the alleged investigation, which Singh declined to offer.

Engel also asked Singh to clarify what he meant by Kinney being a “close contact” of Stevenson's.

“I note one of Dentons' significant clients is the Edmonton Police Service,” Engel concluded in his letter, provided to Postmedia.

Sohi, in a statement, said he had no authority to investigate the conduct of councillors or police commissioners, “so I am uncertain why this request was sent to me in the first place.”

He said the issue would be better resolved through the commission or the city's integrity commissioner, and that it would be “inappropriate” for city council to investigate given its role in deciding police commission appointments and sanctions under the council code of conduct.

“I also understand that litigation may be pending so, once again, it would be inappropriate for me to comment as this matter will likely be before the courts,” he added.

The Edmonton Police Service declined to comment.