6 days ago
Calgary police commission to hire consultant to review CPS workplace culture
After years of internal surveys indicating low employee morale among the Calgary Police Service, the organization's civilian oversight body is hiring a consultant to review CPS's workplace culture.
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While the Calgary police commission decided in March 2024 to conduct a third-party probe, a request for proposals to undertake that work was only issued last week.
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The RFP, which will stay open until the end of June, will task the successful consultant with evaluating CPS's workplace culture and governance structure. The estimated contract value is $300,000, with the contract duration lasting roughly 17 weeks, from Nov. 1 this fall until March 1, 2026.
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The review was in response to concerns expressed by former CPS employees, as well as lower-than-hoped scores in yearly internal surveys around trust and how toxic workplace behaviours were being addressed, said Amtul Siddiqui, chair of the Calgary police commission.
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Although CPS's workplace culture has been assessed in the past, including in 2013 and 2016, Siddiqui argued what makes this review different is the level of transparency and collaboration. She said the commission, the Calgary Police Association and CPS leadership have all committed to assisting the consultant in the investigation.
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'We've got the union involved, we've got CPS leadership involved, we've got the commission providing that governance and oversight, and then you have that external consultant who is independent who is helping us do this work,' she said.
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'We're quite committed to this as a commission and quite committed to being transparent as we move this along.'
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CPS said it supports the investigation, calling it an important step to help foster a respectful, inclusive and safe workplace for its employees.
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'While we've made meaningful progress in recent years, including the creation of the Office of Culture, Inclusion, and Belonging and reforms in Human Resources and Professional Standards, we recognize that there is still work to be done,' a CPS spokesperson said in an email.
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'We are fully committed to participating openly and constructively in the process, and we believe the insights and recommendations it brings will strengthen our efforts and guide the next phase of our journey toward advancing a culture of respect, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging.'
