Open Letter to Community Concern Group

and Regina Public

May 20, 2015
To the Concerned Citizens who delivered a List of Community Concerns and the citizens of
Regina:
On March 15, 2015, your group delivered a list of concerns to the Regina Police Service. Our
repeated invitations to meet with you, the organizers of the March 15th rally, have gone
unacknowledged. Since the concerns were raised in a very public manner, we cannot leave the
public with an impression that the Regina Police Service is indifferent to your groups concerns.
We want to hear your suggestions and have meaningful dialogue to collaborate on solutions
but you will not meet with us. The result is this open letter to the Community Concern group and
all citizens of Regina.
In examining each of the issues on the Community Concerns list, it occurred to us that perhaps
members of the group and the general public may not be aware of our past and current efforts in
the areas specified. To that end, we have compiled the attached document which lists and
explains these initiatives. We know this is not the complete answer; we know there is always
more we can do to connect with all members of our community in a meaningful and respectful
way. We continue to strive to improve our communication with the public about what we do and
why.
We acknowledge there are individuals in our community who are dissatisfied with police. We
would not presume to argue with the individual experiences and feelings of another person.
However, we also know these negative experiences make up a very small percentage of the total
number of interactions we have with the public each year. That is not to say they are
insignificant, but they are not indicative of the overall quality of policing delivered to the citizens
of Regina by this Police Service. Although we know the Service has strong support in this
community, we continue to commit to further improvement.
The Regina Police Service is accountable to those we serve. We are governed by the Regina
Board of Police Commissioners and subject to its oversight as well as that of the Saskatchewan
Police Commission and the Ministry of Justice, Corrections and Policing. When there is a public
complaint about the conduct of our officers there is a robust process of accountability enacted
through the Public Complaints Commission. In instances where we have made mistakes, we
accept the decisions and guidance of the oversight bodies. We address identified gaps in training
or mete out discipline as required.
As a Police Service, we have the duty and responsibility to help people live in safety. We
recognize we cannot do this work alone. Our vision reflects this: Working Together to Keep
Regina Safe. Our role is not comprised of a simple task, but rather a complex array of activities
and actions, including both pro-active and reactive measures. It is work which puts our frontline

officers and investigators in face-to-face contact with members of the public, hundreds of
thousands of times in a year. These interactions may not always be ideal because of the complex
situations to which police are asked to respond. All of us; whether victims, witnesses, suspects,
police or bystanders; have roles to play in personal accountability as participants in the safety of
our community.
We acknowledge effective policing often involves conflict, especially when our response
necessitates the arrests of those who have broken the law or who are not willing to be held
accountable for their actions. We do not apologize for acting within our authority to maintain
public order and ensure our communitys safety and well-being. We have a duty to victims of
crime and our society to diligently pursue investigations and, where appropriate, to lay criminal
charges. We work in partnership with social agencies, justice, corrections, government and nongovernmental organizations, academics and community members to keep Regina safe.
In closing, we urge you to read the attached document to learn more about the work being done
by your Police Service. We invite you to learn more by engaging with us through our website
and social media pages, or attending programs like Citizens Police Academy. We remain open
to constructive dialogue and will continue to work toward building a better, safer community for
all.
Sincerely,
Chief Troy Hagen,
Regina Police Service.