Edmonton police are pushing for changes to the justice system, and their role in it, in the wake of a tragedy that saw a St. Albert RCMP officer killed.
Edmonton Police Service officials said officers are often at bail hearings, arguing to keep suspects behind bars – something police said Crown lawyers should be doing.
According to The Canadian Press, Shawn Rehn, the man who shot Constable David Wynn on Saturday, January 17 – inflicting wounds that would later kill the officer – had recently been released on $4,500 bail.
He was released following a Justice of the Peace bail hearing with an Edmonton police officer – who had been standing-in for the Crown.
EPS said on average, officers attended 41 bail hearings a day in that capacity in 2014.
After January’s tragedy, EPS said that practice is one that should change.
“We really do believe that trained police officers should be out in the community, in the field conducting police work,” Acting Deputy Chief Deb Jolly told CTV News in a phone interview.
Edmonton police said a provincial law enforcement framework from 2010 doesn’t list bail hearings as a responsibility of police officers - police are calling on Alberta’s Justice Minister to ensure Crown Prosecutors take that role.
The Justice Minister made no commitments in response, but commended EPS for bringing the issue to the forefront.
“The bottom line is the public wants answers and we want to ensure that this type of situation does not happen again,” Justice Minister Jonathan Denis said. “Improving our justice system is always a priority for us, but it is a moving target.”
A review of how Shawn Rehn’s case was handled by the Crown has been ordered by Denis.
Back in 2008, as part of a short-lived pilot project, where Crown Prosecutors performed bail hearings instead of officers.
With files from Danelle Boivin
