EXCLUSIVE: Sat Parhar Made Police Chief by Board He Chaired, Before Any Conduct Rules Were in Place

Government records show that when the board Satpal Singh Parhar once chaired announced him as Alberta’s first Chief of Police on July 2, no code of conduct was in force to prevent a conflict of interest in appointing its own former chairman.

This raises questions about what kind of “rigorous, merit-based” hiring process was used by a board that had no Code of Conduct in place at the time — and ultimately selected its own chairman.

Will Albertans have an accountable, transparent, and lawful police force loyal to the public that pays them, or an unaccountable force loyal to Chief Parhar—raising concerns about the integrity of death investigations, the risk of organized crime infiltration, and the trust of security agencies who must share intelligence essential to Albertans’ safety.

Alberta's UCP government — specifically Minister Mike Ellis — has not responded to repeated media inquiries regarding this matter.