P.E.I. appoints first police commissioner
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 | 2:39 PM AT
CBC News
Gerard E. Mitchell has been named the first police commissioner in P.E.I. history.
As commissioner, the retired chief justice of the P.E.I. Supreme Court will provide civilian oversight of municipal police agencies on the Island, including the Atlantic Police Academy and security services at UPEI. He does not have jurisdiction over the RCMP.
"I think I can bring a measure of credibility and fairness to the system that will both be satisfactory to the police and to the public," Mitchell told CBC News on Tuesday.
He said his experiences in court would serve him well in the new position.
The commissioner will hear appeals from complainants and police officers if they are not satisfied with a decision made by a police chief. The office will also investigate complaints against police chiefs themselves.
Roy J. Ridlington, a retired Summerside lawyer, was also announced as deputy police commissioner.
"Making these two appointments is an important step towards the proclamation of the province's new Police Act," said Attorney General Gerard Greenan.
The commissioner's office will be independent and will provide an appeal process for a complainant, or a police officer whose conduct is the subject of a complaint, the province said in a news release. The commissioner's office will not have jurisdiction over the RCMP, which has its own complaints procedure.
Both appointments are effective Nov. 7.
