Alberta serious Incident response team
Investigates potential criminal offences involving all police services in Alberta, as well as serious matters involving peace officers.
ASIRT and the PRC
ASIRT (Alberta Serious Incident Response Team) and the PRC (Police Review Commission) work together under one umbrella to provide independent, transparent oversight of law enforcement in Alberta.
The Alberta government created ASIRT in 2008 as an independent, civilian-led agency that operates at arm's length from the government and law enforcement agencies. ASIRT is now part of the PRC.
ASIRT key elements
These are the key elements of ASIRT's investigative authority and processes, outlining how it operates across Alberta and its role in holding law enforcement accountable.
Criminal investigations
ASIRT is authorized to investigate cases involving Alberta police officers and peace officers whose conduct may have resulted in death, serious injury or serious and sensitive allegations. Under the PRC, ASIRT's mandate has been expanded to include investigations of all other potential criminal conduct by police.
Province-wide
ASIRT is authorized to investigate criminal and statutory allegations involving all police services in Alberta (municipal police, First Nation police and the RCMP). ASIRT's mandate to investigate cases of death, serious injury and serious or sensitive allegations also applies to peace officers working for the provincial government, municipalities, Indigenous communities and other authorized employers.
Authority
ASIRT has the authority to lay criminal charges against a police officer or peace officer if, after an investigation, the executive director has reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence has been committed.
Transparent reporting
ASIRT issues news releases about investigations resulting in criminal charges against officers. ASIRT also publishes detailed reports about incidents that don't result in charges, outlining the facts of the case and the reasons for its findings.
FAQs
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the PRC.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was created in 2008 as a civilian-led agency to investigate cases of death, serious injury and serous or sensitive allegations involving police.
ASIRT is now part of the PRC and is responsible for criminal allegations involving all police services in Alberta. Its mandate to investigate death, serious injury and serious or sensitive allegations involving police officers has been expanded to include peace officers and the Legislative Assembly Security Service.
Under the PRC’s system for categorizing complaints, ASIRT investigates Level 1 and Level 2 cases.
Level 1: Cases of death, serious injury and serious or sensitive allegations involving all police services in Alberta, peace officers and the Legislative Assembly Security Service.
Level 2: Other criminal and statutory offences involving all police services in Alberta.
Yes. Where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a police officer has committed an offence, the executive director of ASIRT may direct one of ASIRT’s investigators to charge the officer.
On most files, the executive director seeks an opinion from the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service prior to making a decision about whether to charge an officer. However, in certain situations, such as where there is a risk of imminent harm, the executive director may direct an investigator to charge an officer without first seeking an opinion from the Crown.
ASIRT’s mandate is defined by the Police Act. The PRC’s chief executive officer (CEO) determines whether a matter falls within the scope of ASIRT’s mandate as it’s defined in the Police Act. If the CEO determines a matter is within scope, it’s assigned to ASIRT.
Make a complaint
Start the process of making a complaint against a police officer. Your complaints will be dealt with via fair and thorough investigations, and transparent reporting.
Check complaint status
You can always check in on the status of your complaint. Timelines can vary on a case-by-case basis, but we aim to resolve complaints within 180 days.
ASIRT media inquiries
For media inquiries, please contact the PRC's Community Connections team.
