P.E.I. implements island-wide policing standards

P.E.I. is implementing Policing Standards to ensure consistency throughout police agencies across the province. (Source: Government of PEI)

The Government of Prince Edward Island announced Thursday it will implement its first ever policing standards.

The PEI Policing Standards will provide a framework for governing police services on the island.

The new standards are aimed to modernize policing services, ensure all agencies are following consistent practices and improve accountability and responsiveness to residents in the province.

“Having consistent standards, guidelines, and protocols are important for any professionally designated industry. There has been a lot of work that has gone into making these standards a reality, and I want to thank everyone who contributed, from our public consultations to our stakeholder meetings - these standards will promote unity and help continue to build trust, making our communities safer for everyone,” said Bloyce Thompson, minister of Justice and Public Safety.

Through the Department of Justice and Public Safety, the province will work with all police agencies on implementing the policing standards, starting with an implementation plan to the Department of Justice and Public Safety, which police agencies will have 90 days to submit. They will then have 24 months to operationalize their plan.

“Police standards are a critically important model for our officers and for our communities. These new standards are an exciting development for our officers who stay on PEI, and will help guide our training facilities as we all work together to make our Island the safest place it can be,” said Jeffrey Minten, executive director of the Atlantic Police Academy.

The province said the launch of the PEI Policing Standards is a result of a mandate commitment to continue implementing recommendations of the Midpoint Evaluation of 2017 Crime Prevention and Policing review done by the ADGA Group Consultants.

The standards from the review 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.

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