The Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Information and Privacy Unit is expanding and preparing to launch a new online request system to address the increasing number of requests.

Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPP Act) provides for a right of access to records held by public bodies such as police services. At the EPS, the Information & Privacy Unit processes all requests made in relation to the Act, which have risen 263% since 2015. As of March 1, 2023, the unit is working on 740 active files, 491 of which remain outstanding from 2022.

EPS Information and Privacy Unit Caseload by Year

In addition to and separate from FOIP requests, the unit also manages approximately 7,000 routine disclosure requests per year, which include requests for police reports, collision reports, witness statements, and certificates of analysis from members of the public, insurance representatives, law firms, and other federal and provincial agencies and programs.

“There is no question our workload is increasing and has been for some time,” says Regan James, Manager of the EPS Administrative Police Information Section. “While our team has been working diligently to meet the demand, we know that the volume of requests has been continuously exceeding our capacity.”

“In addition to the current caseload, we also anticipate that new video initiatives such as in-car and body worn cameras will further increase requests.

“As a result, we’ve been actively working to restructure our unit and implement a new, online request system that we hope will help us meet this growing demand.” 

To date, the Information and Privacy Unit consists of seven employees, including a coordinator, analysts, routine disclosure clerks and a legal assistant. Hiring is currently underway for four additional analysts to distribute the workload and increase response times. These additional positions were sourced from within the organization.

In addition to the pressures of a growing caseload, the EPS also received notice in August 2021 that the Government of Alberta would be decommissioning their online system, FOIPnet. As a result, in November 2021, the EPS began actively working to procure a new system that would fulfill the organization’s specific requirements and budget. Following a thorough market scan, ATIPXpress was chosen in May 2022. FOIPnet was formally decommissioned in September of 2022 and the implementation of ATIPXpress has been completed, with a launch date expected in the near future for the public portal.

Currently in use by several other Canadian and American agencies, including the Vancouver Police Department, Alberta Health Services and US National Security, ATIPXpress will allow the Information and Privacy Unit to significantly streamline the management of requests by replacing many of the existing manual processes and facilitating easier collaboration with teams across the organization. The new system will also enable citizens to place and pay for FOIP requests online using the City of Edmonton’s online payment vendor, TD Online Mart.

"The EPS recognizes the importance of the FOIP legislation and the role it plays in police transparency," says James. "For these reasons, we are excited to welcome new team members, launch a new system and modernize our unit."

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For media inquiries please contact the EPS Media Relations Unit at mediarelations@edmontonpolice.ca.