Calgary’s police commissioners still meet face-to-face in downtown offices. But members of the public can no longer routinely join them.
The commission moved its meetings online during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in-person meetings around mid-2022. But in 2024, it formalized a policy allowing public access either in person or virtually, without requiring both.
The Calgary Police Commission says security costs and limited demand explain why it has maintained virtual public attendance.
“And so the cost for us to have security screening, metal detectors… it just outweighs the interest we have in participation,” said Corwin Odland, the commission’s executive director.
The decision was approved behind closed doors, and Odland confirmed that a report on meeting procedures did not specifically address ending routine in-person public attendance.
