A number of long-standing safety issues will be looked at during a fatality inquiry into the death of an Alberta peace officer in 2012.
Rod Lazenby, a peace officer with the M.D. of Foothiils, was killed nearly five years ago after he responded to a dog complaint at a rural property in Priddis.
Trevor Kloschinsky, the owner of the property that Lazenby went to on August 10, 2012, was arrested and charged with murder.
A judge later found Kloschinsky not criminally responsible for the killing.
His lawyer told the court that he was suffering a mental disturbance at the time, thinking that Lazenby had come to steal his dogs.
Doctors also said that Kloschinsky was ‘actively psychotic’ during the incident that resulted in the peace officer being tied up, badly beaten and dumped at a Calgary police station.
The inquiry will be looking at the safety concerns peace officers have on the job.
Eight witnesses will be called including a forensics doctor, police and a paramedic.
An RCMP officer testified that police were aware Kloschinsky had mental health issues and that officers should not approach his property without backup.
Lazenby's family are also allowed to question the witnesses.
Terri Miller, president of the Alberta Association of Community Peace Officers, says they have been an ongoing concern for the association.
"The training that we get currently is based on different levels of community peace officers. The three levels that we have don't get the same amount of training and we want to standardize the training that all community peace officers get."
Jamie Erickson, who was the vice president of the AACPO when Lazenby was killed, has high hopes the inquiry will be the push needed to make changes.
"Obviously, it's tragic and we want to move forward, we want to make sure our peace officers are safe."
The inquiry was set to last a week but more than half of the witnesses have testified meaning the proceedings could conclude Tuesday afternoon.
Peace officers and family members can then make recommendations on preventing a death like Lazenby’s from happening again.
The judge will issue final recommendations in a report to the province
