Jason van Rassel, Senior Manager, Community Connections. (Image Credit: Supplied)

By LNN Staff

Checking In After December 2025 Launch

New police oversight body visits Lethbridge, Taber, Medicine Hat

Apr 6, 2026 | 2:33 PM

Leaders from Alberta’s Police Review Commission (PRC) were in southern Alberta last week, meeting face-to-face with local police commissions, police chiefs and community leaders to share an early update on a new police oversight system.

Four months in, officials say the PRC is starting to get a clearer picture of concerns across the province, including in southern Alberta. A PRC spokesperson says the new agency took in a total of 1,026 submissions, with police services in Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Blood Tribe and Taber making up about 5 per cent of the total submissions. 

The organization says building awareness of the new agency was a key goal of the trip.

“Most people will never need to file a complaint involving police,” said Jason van Rassel, Police Review Commission spokesperson, in a press release. “But if they need to, they should know where to go and what to expect.

“That’s why we’re out in the community making sure that people understand that there is a fair, independent and timely process in place.”

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The PRC, described as an independent, civilian-led agency, launched in December 2025. Officials say the launch was part of a broader shift in how police oversight works in Alberta, bringing what they say used to be a fragmented system into one place.

Before the PRC, officials say public complaints were typically handled by police services themselves, with oversight from local police commissions, while the most serious cases were investigated by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT).

Today, PRC officials say the non-criminal complaints process has been centralized within the PRC, which manages intake through the complaint stage to investigation, alternative resolution, and disciplinary hearings, if needed. 

Meanwhile, ASIRT continues to investigate criminal allegations under the PRC banner.

PRC leaders say the agency is off to a good start, but emphasize that building trust takes time and it starts with strengthening relationships across the province.

“We spent a long time in the community, talking with community groups, police commissions and local services when building the PRC,” van Rassel said. “The community gave us so much good advice and direction on how to get it right.

“Now we’re coming back to many of those same groups to hear how it’s going from their perspective  and what we can do better to serve the community.”