Ganley expresses concern about use of force
Incidents involving transit officers up
A dramatic upswing in the use of force by Edmonton Transit peace officers concerns Alberta’s justice minister.
A Postmedia report revealed Tuesday that officers reported 523 use-of-force incidents in 2017, nearly double 2015’s total and up 118 from 2016. The internal City of Edmonton stats were obtained through a freedom of information request.
Use of force among peace officers was highest in 2008, when officers reported 629 incidents.
Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley said Tuesday it’s an issue that should be watched.
“The question will always be: Is that use of force reasonable in the particular circumstance?” Ganley said on her way into the legislature.
Changes aren’t on government’s to-do list, but she said it’s an issue of interest to a lot of Albertans.
“I think it’s something that’s always on our radar ... because I think all the services are aware and concerned about this issue,” Ganley said.
In Alberta, peace officers are law enforcement officials tasked with upholding and enforcing certain laws and regulations, but with a much narrower range of authority than police officers.
Edmonton has about 70 transit peace officers who receive a minimum of six weeks of training from the Alberta Justice and Solicitor General department. Their duties include patrolling Edmonton Transit property, responding to “security-related incidents,” enforcing municipal bylaws and ensuring fares are paid.
The use-of-force issue came to the fore in February, when activists released video of a 15-yearold boy being arrested by transit peace officers at Belvedere Transit Centre in northeast Edmonton. In the video, two officers are seen detaining the youth, who is black, before taking him to the ground and handcuffing him.
The activists said he was waiting for a bus with friends when a peace officer accused him of loitering and told him to leave. His father told Postmedia he believes his son was profiled and that peace officers used excessive force.