Public safety minister says Chinatown detainee drop-offs were human error, not policy

Public Safety and Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis said Friday he was outraged by the release of detainees in Edmonton's Chinatown, calling the incidents human error rather than policy.

"That is not a directive coming from me," Ellis said at a news conference in Beaumont. Surveillance videos published by CBC and Global News earlier this month showed provincial corrections transport vans dropping off released detainees in the neighbourhood, with officers opening van doors to let them go free. Two such incidents occurred in Edmonton.

Mayor Andrew Knack said he was shocked by the videos and has argued Edmonton does more than its fair share to house inmates. Councillor Anne Stevenson, who represents the Chinatown ward, called on Ellis to establish a framework to coordinate the reintegration of formerly incarcerated people. "It is past time for action to be taken. I am done with having fingers pointed at the city, that we're not doing enough," Stevenson said. "We need them to follow through with the promises that they made to this community."

Deputy Minister Justin Krilker brought together all executive teams upon learning of the videos. "Now, unfortunately, we're all human beings, and what the conclusion was is that in both of those cases, it was human error," Ellis said, without detailing what the errors were. The government is taking corrective measures to prevent it from happening again.

Ellis emphasized his ministry's focus on "warm handoffs" — connecting people with services to prevent cycles of abuse and reduce recidivism. Dylan Bressey, who heads the province's largest group of municipalities, said the issue isn't unique to Edmonton. Ellis told reporters at an unrelated news conference that dropping off detainees on streets is not common practice.