Alberta's new police watchdog agency has appointed its first permanent chief executive officer, but the selection has drawn criticism from a lawyers' group concerned about independence.
Katherine Murphy Appointed CEO
Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis announced this week that Katherine Murphy, a lawyer and the Calgary Police Service's civilian chief strategy officer, will lead the Police Review Commission. The provincial agency is tasked with investigating Police Act complaints and criminal allegations against Alberta police officers.
Murphy oversaw legal services, professional standards, finance, policy, and communications at the Calgary Police Service. She replaces interim CEO Michael Ewenson, a former Crown prosecutor who led the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) before being appointed to the Alberta Court of Justice. ASIRT now falls under the Police Review Commission umbrella.
Murphy's Statement and Government Support
“I am honoured to lead the Police Review Commission as it continues to grow and deliver on its important mandate,” Murphy said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the team to ensure independent, fair and transparent oversight that strengthens trust between communities and police across Alberta.”
Public safety ministry spokesperson Sheena Campbell said Murphy was selected for her “extensive leadership experience, strong governance background, and demonstrated commitment to independent, transparent oversight of policing in Alberta.”
Concerns from Lawyers Group
However, Tom Engel, longtime Edmonton police critic and chair of the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association (CTLA) policing committee, expressed concern that the new organization is led by a former police service employee rather than a prosecutor. Engel noted that all three previous ASIRT executive directors were Crown prosecutors.
“Crown prosecutors, their job is to see that justice is done, that is their primary role,” Engel said. “People who work for the Calgary Police Service, that wasn’t their role. Their role was to protect the Calgary Police Service.”
Background of the Police Review Commission
The Alberta government began searching for a CEO for the Police Review Commission in 2024. The agency, expected to employ up to 157 people, will handle both ASIRT investigations and Police Act complaints. Historically, Police Act complaints were handled by police chiefs and internal units like the Edmonton Police Service Professional Standards Branch.
Critics have long argued that the internal system amounts to police policing themselves. Police unions have also criticized the setup, partly because the chief of police both prosecutes misconduct cases and appoints the presiding officer.
While police services and unions have welcomed the move to the Police Review Commission, groups like the CTLA have criticized the process. The CTLA withdrew from consultations on the new agency in 2024, alleging that the process gave law enforcement “special status to the exclusion of all other stakeholders.”
