Islanders invited to give feedback on policing standards

The Province is taking the preliminary steps of implementing a clear and comprehensive framework for governing police services on PEI, and members of the public are encouraged to participate.

The PEI Policing Standards will assist to modernize policing services, ensure that all agencies are consistent in their practices, and ultimately improve accountability and responsiveness for the benefit of residents throughout the province.

“I am very pleased to be introducing these standards, and I am hopeful that Islanders from tip-to-tip are able to review the draft framework we’ve put forward and submit feedback they might have. Standards of practice are very common across many specialized professions, and we appreciate the cooperation from the police agencies on PEI who have helped build this framework, alongside over 50 partner and community organizations who have also had input. Their commitment to keeping our Island safe is unmatched.”

-  Deputy Premier and Minister of Justice and Public Safety Bloyce Thompson.

The PEI Policing Standards will introduce comprehensive requirements covering a wide range of areas to further improve safety of those on the front lines, as well as the safety of communities and municipalities across the province. These include:

• Roles and Responsibilities: Defining clear roles and accountability, ensuring alignment with legislative frameworks and shared services with other agencies.
• Organizational Management: Emphasizing community engagement, annual policing plans, financial accountability, and quality assurance. Police services will work with communities to identify safety priorities and ensure transparency through consultative committees and surveys.
• Personnel: Focusing on fair recruitment, training, and performance evaluation, ensuring transparent processes and professional standards, and addressing officer welfare and community needs.
• Operations: Covering crime prevention, unbiased policing, specialized areas including intimate partner violence, mental health crises, and use of force protocols, while ensuring operational effectiveness and public trust through evidence-based and trauma-informed responses.
• Specialized Policing and Support Services: Ensuring effective support for victims and witnesses, maintaining high standards in specialized areas such as crime analysis, forensic services, and managing people in police custody.

The launch of the PEI Policing Standards is a result of a mandate commitment to further benefit Islanders by continuing to implement recommendations of the Midpoint Evaluation of 2017 Crime Prevention and Policing review, striving to make PEI the safest place to live, enjoy and raise a family.

For more information on the framework, including how to provide feedback visit, Department of Justice and Public Safety Public Consultations.

Backgrounder:

In 2016, a review of crime prevention strategies and the PEI police services model took place.  Since then, a series of committees implemented prioritized recommendations. As part of government’s commitment to continuous improvement, a decision was made to undertake a midpoint evaluation of the 2016 Police Services Review.

ADGA Group Consultants were hired to complete an evaluation and presented their report to the Government of PEI which outlined the progress since the 2016 review and provided recommendations to strengthen and improve policing in PEI, more commonly known as the ADGA’s Midpoint Evaluation of 2017 Crime Prevention and Police Services Model Review.

ADGA Group Consultants, along with Justice and Public Safety presented the project report and recommendations to the Chiefs from Charlottetown, Kensington, and Summerside Police Services, RCMP, Atlantic Police Academy and the University of Prince Edward Island on February 7, 2022 and released the report to the public on February 9, 2022. This report, along with a full list of recommendations can be found at ADGA’s Midpoint Evaluation of 2017 Crime Prevention and Police Services Model Review.  

Media contact:
Kip Ready
Senior Communications Officer
Department of Justice and Public Safety
kjready@gov.pe.ca