The Community Inclusive Initiative from Edmonton Police Service

Continuing the theme from last month regarding the topic of community resources for hate-based incidents and crime, in this article I would like to talk about the initiative from the Edmonton Police Service called the Commitment to Action.

The initiative was launched after the events of 2020 that put a spotlight on how members of the public feel they are treated by the police. The topic is also timely given the rise in Anti Asian Racism. Members of the community who are BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) want more action so that they feel safe in the community.
The Chief of Police announced this initiative as a way to gather information and perspectives straight from those who are experiencing these difficulties and are most affected by any changes that are implemented.

How to Participate in this initiative:
• Scheduled Sessions: There are prescheduled sessions on a monthly basis that anyone can sign up for. All the dates are listed on the Commitment to Action webpage.
• Request an Engagement Session: If you are part of a cultural, nonprofit or community organization, or even an informal group, there is an option to request an in-person or online session to gather feedback on how police should change their processes in serving the community. It is optional to have police attend these sessions, so you can make a plan depending on what will make the participants feel the most safe and open to share.
• Directly Share Input Online (Digital Sticky Notes): The digital sticky notes allow people to share quick ideas and they get compiled on the webpage. The space is short, about 140 characters, but you can make multiple suggestions and answer different questions.
• Share Stories Online: If you would like to share a story of your experiences with Edmonton Police, both good and bad, this is where you can write a longer submission.
For the online submissions, they do require an email address, as a copy of your suggestion is emailed to you for reference.

All of this information can be found at: https://commitmenttoaction.ca/

For our fellow Kababayans who live in different parts of Alberta, I recommend checking your local municipality if there is a similar initiative that is being done by the police department. If there isn’t one, consider suggesting it!