By Curtis Galbraith

City Hall

City council approves seven appointments to police commission

May 2, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Five public members and two city councillors have been named to Grande Prairie’s police commission.

This will be the oversight body for the newly formed Grande Prairie Municipal Police Service.

Councillors Kevin O’Toole and Dylan Bressey will be joined by public members; Kelly Benning, Tim Burnham, Donna Koch, Natalia Reiman, and Dan Wong. All were approved at Monday’s meeting of city council.

Bressey says the commission’s first job is to hire a police chief.

“Applications have already been opened. An external firm has been hired by the city to solicit them but at the end of the day; it’ll be for the commission to decide how to sort through those applications and to determine a chief of police.”

Meaningful Mementos

Remembering Someone You've Lost at Christmas

Dec 03, 2024

Seasonal Sorrow

How Do You Get Through The Holidays When You're Grieving?

Nov 01, 2024

Upcoming Events at Oliver's

Grief & Loss and Estate Planning Seminars

Oct 02, 2024

Bressey says when the process to go through the applications starts will be up to the commission.

He adds after a chief is hired, there will still be a lot to do.

“There’s a tremendous amount of work to do. Everything from hiring that chief to setting the overarching policies of the police service to creating and approving a detailed budget.”

“That commission has a lot of work before it and I’m excited that it’s finally appointed so it can get going.”

The city says 72 people had applied to be on the commission, with eleven making it to a short list, before the final five public members were picked. Bressey says he was pleased to see that many applicants.

“Council had great candidates to pick from. I think council has picked a team that has got a diverse experience in the community, a diverse amount of professional experience, and is really going to bring a wide range of views to the table so that it can build an effective police service for this community.”

Bressey and O’Toole were not allowed to take part in the vote where they were approved as the two councillors to be on the commission.

Bressey adds councillors are not paid more for being on the commission.