Police commissions were first introduced in Alberta in 1951, and they became mandatory for the governance of all Alberta’s municipal police services in 1971. Today, most Canadian provinces – with the exception of Manitoba, Quebec and Newfoundland – have Police Commissions or Committees.
Police commissions exist for several reasons:
- To oversee municipal police services
- To establish policies for effective and efficient policing
- To allocate funds provided by City Council
- To direct the Chief of Police
- To promote ethical and professional policing
- To prevent political interference in policing
- To build public confidence and trust in the police
