Frequently asked questions

The PRC is a civilian-led agency that independently investigates the actions of police in Alberta, ranging from criminal allegations to complaints from the public about non-criminal misconduct.

For criminal and statutory offences – no. For non-criminal misconduct -- yes.

Investigations that result in criminal charges go to court, where judicial proceedings will determine the legal outcome.

For allegations of non-criminal misconduct against officers working for municipal and First Nation police services, the PRC has the authority to hold disciplinary hearings and/or impose sanctions. (Note: non-criminal allegations against RCMP officers remain under the RCMP’s authority and are outside the PRC’s jurisdiction.)

No. If a complaint against an officer doesn’t meet the test for criminal or statutory charges, or doesn’t constitute an offence under the Police Conduct and Oversight Regulation, it’s outside the PRC’s jurisdiction. If the PRC determines a complaint is related to job performance, the file is referred to the officer’s employer. Similarly, complaints about a police service’s policies are referred to the involved police service.

You can file a complaint by clicking the “Make a complaint” button in the upper right-hand corner of the PRC’s website. You can also file a complaint by phone: call 780-644-0306 and follow the prompts.

The Police Act has been amended to make the complaint process more accessible, by giving the PRC’s chief executive officer the ability to accept complaints in methods other than in writing.

If you have questions about filing a complaint using another method, please email PRCaccommodations@gov.ab.ca or call 780-644-0306 and follow the prompts for accessibility accommodations.

For a detailed breakdown of the PRC’s mandate and jurisdiction, visit What the PRC Can & Can’t Do.

The length of an investigation can depend on several factors, including: the seriousness of the allegations and the complexity of the investigation; if the case is suitable for early or alternative dispute resolution and whether the parties agree to it.

The PRC is required to conclude investigations within 180 days of categorizing a complaint and assigning it to the appropriate investigative team. If the PRC doesn’t conclude an investigation within 180 days, the chief executive officer is required publicly report on it and provide reasons why that timeline wasn’t met.

Appeals and reviews of PRC decisions in non-criiminal misconduct cases (Level 3 complaints) are allowable in some instances set out in the Police Act. When your complaint is concluded, you will receive a written decision which will tell you whether you can appeal to the Law Enforcement Review Board (LERB), and how long you have to do so. Appeals can be made on the following grounds: 

1. You disagree with the CEO’s decision that there was no contravention of the Police Conduct and Oversight Regulation in your case. 
2. You disagree with the outcome of a disciplinary hearing. 
3. You disagree with your complaint being dismissed as frivolous/vexatious/bad faith. 

The PRC is a an independent, civilian-led agency that investigates police conduct in Alberta, ranging from criminal allegations to non-criminal complaints from the public.

The PRC was established to replace a patchwork of processes with a single agency that will provide the public with a more straightforward process, timelier resolutions and independent, consistent decision making.

As part of the PRC, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) will continue its practice of issuing news releases when investigations result in criminal charges and releasing detailed reports about concluded investigations.

For non-criminal complaints that proceed to disciplinary hearings, the proceedings will be open to the public and the PRC will publish decisions arising from them.

While a complaint is ongoing, people will be able to check on the progress of their case at any time by clicking on the “check complaint status” button on the PRC website.

The PRC is happy to answer your questions and engage with the communities it serves. The Community Connections team  has two liaisons available to meet with community groups and organizations. You can use our contact form to request an information session: choose “Community engagement” in the dropdown menu.

You can also select “Request Information” on the contact form to ask for more information about the PRC’s policies, or visit our Resources page.

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.