EDMONTON — The head of the Edmonton Police Commission says he’s stepping down, days after announcing he’d finish out his term while living abroad in Portugal.

John McDougall said in a statement Tuesday that he decided to resign as a member of the commission after “much reflection” over the past few days. His resignation takes effect immediately, he said.

“It is clear that my residency would be an unwelcome distraction from the important work of the commission, which is not fair to the citizens who rely on us to provide governance and oversight of the Edmonton Police Service,” he said.

“I thank my fellow commissioners whom I had the pleasure serving alongside over the past seven years.”

McDougall’s resignation comes days after he said he planned to retire to Portugal in 2025 when his time as chair ends but that he would remain a commissioner until 2026. He has had a 35-year career with the Canadian Armed Forces.

He had said his work abroad would follow all rules, as there are no residency requirements for commissions appointed by the municipality or the province.

“I have resided in Edmonton, and Alberta, for a very long time and my ties to this community do not simply disappear when I step onto an airplane,” he said in a Friday statement, adding he wouldn’t seek honorariums or a third term as chair.

“I am also not the first Edmonton Police Commission member who doesn’t reside in the City of Edmonton, so this does not come without precedent.”

At an unrelated news conference Friday, Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said he’d heard vaguely that McDougall was moving overseas but wasn’t aware at the time of his plans to continue as a commissioner.

“My understanding is that he will be in Edmonton while performing the duties and that only when he is done and retired will he be moving to Portugal, where his partner lives,” Ellis said.

McDougall’s biography on the Edmonton Police Commission website says he’s served with the Canadian Armed Forces since 1989. He’s also advocated for LGBTQ+ rights in the city and the military.

“I am truly honoured to have improved policing in Edmonton and look forward to seeing that work continue for the betterment of this city,” McDougall said Tuesday.

“I leave the Commission with my head held high and my heart full of gratitude.”

In an email, commission spokesman John Statton said commissioners will elect a new chair and vice chair by secret ballot during the first public meeting of the year. Both positions are one-year terms, he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2024.

Aaron Sousa, The Canadian Press