Police Chief Jon Bergen. (File photo/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Public safety

Prince Albert Police Chief responds to external review

Nov 10, 2022 | 4:45 PM

The Chief of Police for the Prince Albert Police Service says he welcomes an independent inquiry that will conduct a thorough review of the operations of the organization, as well as the needs of the community.

Jon Bergen responded to news of an external policing expert being appointed by the Ministry of Corrections, Policing, and Public Safety.

“I think anytime there can be an observation or information that leads to a recommendation that’s going to help us better serve the community, we are always going to be extremely open to that,” Bergen said, adding a fresh look from independent eyes can help the entire community.

With respect to how far-reaching the inquiry will go, Bergen said it’s too early to know, adding it could be a few weeks before we know what direction the inquiry is going to take the police service.

Speaking with reporters on Thursday, policing minister Christine Tell alluded to the city’s challenges with increasing call volumes.

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To the end of Oct. 2022, the Prince Albert police service responded to 39,212 calls for service, which represented a 2.62% increase from the previous year, and the highest number when looking back at the past five years.

Describing the community’s challenges as unique, Bergen explained the police service does much more than respond to crimes as they are also involved in calls related to addictions and mental health.

“So it’s quite broad on what the community calls on the Prince Albert police service for,” he explained.

Noting how a number of other jurisdictions across Canada are facing the same challenges related to the types and volume of calls, Bergen was also aware that on paper, the city has more police officers than other cities with the same population.

Bergen said he was also aware that it’s challenging for the community to fund increases to police, but explained it’s challenging too for the police service to provide the expected level of service to the community when dealing with the call volumes they do manage.

“Recognize from all perspectives what we are navigating here in Prince Albert and that’s why we often say it’s unique challenges we are facing here,” he said.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell