Edmonton's oversight body for its police service is set for a significant refresh in 2026, with the appointment of five new city-nominated members to the Edmonton Police Commission. Mayor Andrew Knack made the announcement, revealing the names selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants.
New and Returning Commissioners
The slate of appointees includes both familiar and new faces. Current chairman Ben Henderson and vice-chairwoman Shazia Amiri will return to their roles. They will be joined by three new commissioners: former city councillor and mayoral candidate Karen Leibovici, along with Barry McNabb and Peter Obiefuna. All five will begin two-year terms starting in 2026.
For Karen Leibovici, this marks a return to the commission, where she previously served two terms as a council representative. Leibovici, a city councillor from 2001 to 2013, brings a wealth of public service experience, including her current directorship at the Edmonton Humane Society and past involvement with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP.
Building Trust in a Time of Transition
In comments following her appointment, Leibovici highlighted the critical timing of this term. "With a newly elected council and a newly installed police chief, Warren Driechel, this two-year term will be very important as politicians and the chief grow into their roles," she stated.
She emphasized that a core focus for the commission will be fostering trust. "One of the key areas the commission has to continue to work on is not only trust with the public, but trust with the police service, as well," Leibovici explained. "The commission has to ensure there is transparency and accountability to council, to the public, and to the police service."
Leibovici pointed to the multiple layers of new leadership as both a challenge and an opportunity. "There's the new city council, the new mayor and there's a new police chief. There are three new members of the Edmonton Police Commission, so the front end of that work is building that trust relationship," she said, acknowledging the substantial work ahead in defining clear lines of accountability.
Profiles of the Other New Appointees
The other new commissioners bring diverse professional and community backgrounds to the table:
Barry McNabb is the former vice-president of finance for Alberta Innovates and has held senior roles at Atco Electric. His extensive volunteer board experience includes leadership positions with CASA Mental Health, Edmonton's Food Bank, and Wheelchair Sports Alberta.
Peter Obiefuna is a lawyer with Edmonton's Arizen Law. He has a strong history of community engagement with law enforcement, having served as a police community liaison and as a member of the EPS Chief of Police Consultative Council. He also co-chaired the African liaison committee, which reports directly to the chief of police.
In a news release, Mayor Knack expressed confidence in the selections. "We are pleased that so many capable candidates applied to lend their expertise to the commission, and welcome the successful appointees," Knack said. "Council looks forward to strengthening its relationship with the commission and the Edmonton Police Service in our collaborative effort to build an even safer city for all Edmontonians."
The appointments signal a renewed phase for the Edmonton Police Commission, positioning it to guide the police service through a period of significant civic and institutional change.
