On Wednesday, Alberta’s police chiefs agreed in principle to a new framework for naming homicide victims, which could mean names will be withheld from the public.
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“It’s almost like a decision tree,” Lethbridge Police Service Chief Rob Davis said. “On a case-by-case basis we can go through the framework and see whether it meets the threshold, or not, to release a name.”
In the past, the LPS has released every homicide victim’s name, but now they could withhold that information. However, Davis doesn’t think much will change.
“There had been times over the last couple years where we withheld the name until we got ahead of the investigation, so that’s not going to change,” Davis said. “It just really formalizes the process we’ll go through to reach that decision.”
READ MORE: Alberta Police Chiefs unite on guidelines for releasing names of homicide victims
The police service also says no two homicides are the same, and a blanket policy won’t work.
The new framework will have a large emphasis on protection of privacy.
“A deceased person retains rights privacy rights 25 years after they die,” Davis said. “Similarly, the family are considered victims so they retain rights after a person is deceased.”
Ken Kissick the founder of Streets Alive Mission, which helps the homeless population in Lethbridge. He believes having victims’ families involved in the process could avoid preconceived notions.
“The initial announcement of a murder puts a negative spin sometimes on a life that has a positive side to it,” Kissick said. “So I see the control that they want to come in that manner.”
The Lethbridge Police Service plans to create its own updated policy. Until that is done, they will follow the new provincial guidelines.
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