ALERT Welcomes Shami Sandhu as Board Chair

Edmonton… Edmonton’s Shami Sandhu has been elected Chair of the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team (ALERT) Board of Directors.

Sandhu, who is also Chair of the Edmonton Police Commission, was elected at the ALERT Board meeting on December 10th. He replaces Medicine Hat Police Commission’s Ryan Jackson, whose tenure on the Board is due to expire at the end of the year.

“ALERT is very fortunate to have Mr. Sandhu serve in this leadership capacity and we value his enthusiasm towards making communities across Alberta safe,” said ALERT Chief Executive Officer Insp. Charmaine Bulger. “Further, I also want to applaud Mr. Jackson for his contributions to public safety.”

ALERT is established and funded by the Government of Alberta to bring together the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources to tackle serious and organized crime. Since its inception in 2006, ALERT has taken nearly $500 million worth of drugs off Alberta streets, seized nearly 500 firearms, and has arrested nearly 6,000 offenders.

Sandhu has been a member of the ALERT Board since January 2013. He was appointed Chair of the EPS Commission in 2013, and appointed by Edmonton City Council in 2010. Sandhu is a tireless advocate for community safety and crime prevention and has previously been the Chair of the Alberta Association of Police Governance.

“I’m honored to be selected as the incoming Chair for an organization that is viewed nationally as a role model for integrated policing that targets serious crimes across the province,” said Sandhu. “It is important for Albertans to know that the work done by this integrated team is vital to public safety as it supports the efforts of local police services and the RCMP.”

ALERT is governed in part by a civilian Board of Directors that provides local representation from jurisdictions throughout Alberta. Other Board members include: Ryan Jackson (Medicine Hat), Diane Colley-Urquhart (Calgary), Liz Iwaskiw (Lethbridge), Donald Johnson (Rural RCMP), Bill Given (Grande Prairie), and Bill Sweeney (Alberta Solicitor General and Public Security).