Jonathan Coughlan named ALERT's first civilian CEO
Coughlan spent 27 years with the Edmonton Police Service before moving into a provincial law enforcement oversight role.
Jonathan Coughlan has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of ALERT, the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams organization, becoming its sixth CEO and the first to be appointed as a civilian. ALERT is a provincially funded integrated policing agency made up of about 350 officers and civilian staff who target serious and organized crime across Alberta, with regional offices in Edmonton, Calgary, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Medicine Hat and Red Deer.
Coughlan, who was born and raised in Edmonton and holds a degree from the University of Alberta, served with the Edmonton Police Service for 27 years. He most recently worked for the Government of Alberta as executive director of Law Enforcement and Oversight, a post he held from November 2023 to August 2026.
During his policing career, Coughlan had two stints with ALERT: in 2014 he helped set up the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit's money laundering and financial crimes team, and in 2022 he returned to oversee the organization's organized crime teams in Edmonton.
Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, congratulated Coughlan on the appointment, saying his policing and leadership experience positions him well to lead ALERT's work disrupting criminal networks in the province.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.