An online public hearing will take place next week during which Edmontonians can share their experiences with racism in the city, particularly when it comes to interactions with police.

Edmonton's police chief says there is systemic racism in Canadian policing, but he worries that defunding police could lead to a loss of officers and programs brought in to address diversity.

Dale McFee says there's an opportunity in updating the Police Act to bring about change in police oversight.

Video of a June 2018 arrest by Edmonton police is under scrutiny. The man says the officer's knee was on his neck for several minutes. EPS disagrees and says another video provides much more context.

"It's made us all look at ourselves internally, externally and realize this in particular, this death, is certainly not part of the profession of policing," McFee said.

Edmonton Police Chief Dale McFee said Tuesday he is pleased to hear Alberta's health minister has signed a ministerial order allowing law enforcement agencies to access information about citizens' COVID-19 status in cases where officers have been spat or coughed on by someone claiming to have the disease.

Five businesses in Edmonton and three in St. Albert were victimized on Jan. 17 by thieves who stole their wall-mounted hand dryers.

The Edmonton Police Service said it will focus on recruiting and training following months of consultation with the LGBTQ community.

Response times measure how long it takes for police to dispatch, travel and arrive on scene, with time goals range from seven minutes or less to 180 minutes, depending on the severity of the crime.

Distracted driving laws have been in effect in Alberta since September 2011.