Police: permit decision based on bylaw criteria, not public survey
The Regina Police Service has defended its decision to approve weekly permits for the Regina City Jamia Masjid to broadcast a short Friday call to prayer, saying the applications met the city’s amplification bylaw rather than reflecting the results of community surveys or public sentiment.
At a media scrum, RPS chief Lorilee Davies said officers considered specific elements outlined in the bylaw when reviewing the mosque’s request. Those elements included the time of day, the area of the city, the acceptable noise level and the length of the sound.
- The mosque’s call to prayer runs for about three minutes on Friday afternoons.
- Each broadcast includes an English translation at the end.
- Permits are issued on a weekly basis under the city’s amplification rules.
Davies made clear the Regina Police Service did not use the mosque’s own survey results as a factor in the permit decision. The mosque had conducted outreach after facing significant public pushback and reported receiving about 220 responses to its questionnaire. Locally, the mosque said 30 responses came from people in the immediate area, and 22 of those indicated they did not approve of the broadcasts.
“We consider the things that are in the bylaw. So the time of day, the area of the city, the noise level, the length of the sound — those are the things that we consider when reviewing those applications.”
The mosque’s director, M. Anisur Rahaman, told reporters earlier that some respondents opposed the broadcasts based on mistaken beliefs about the scope of the prayer calls — including concerns that they would occur five times a day. The weekly permit application was intended, he said, to address those worries directly and to reassure neighbours that the broadcasts would be limited.
Police say they will monitor public safety, manage protests if needed
Chief Davies acknowledged the issue has generated strong conversation across Regina but stressed that the police role is to manage public safety if gatherings arise in reaction to the broadcasts. She said the force monitors intelligence about potential assemblies and will allocate resources as needed, the same way it would for any large gathering.
“If we receive information that a number of people are going to gather there, potentially for a protest or another event, we’ll need to ensure we have the appropriate resources in place, as we would for any incident,” Davies said. She emphasised that policing decisions around public order are operational and focused on safety rather than the content of the speech.
For residents close to the mosque, the debate raises practical and social questions: how the city manages amplified sound in neighbourhoods, how religious expression fits within municipal rules, and how public authorities balance competing interests when tensions flare. The bylaw framework provides measurable criteria, but community relations remain a separate challenge.
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Length of call | ~3 minutes |
| Survey responses reported by mosque | ~220 |
| Responses from local area | 30 (22 opposed) |
| Permit frequency | Weekly applications |
Municipal officials and police are bound to apply the same criteria to any applicant seeking amplified sound permits, Davies noted. That includes religious institutions, cultural groups and commercial applicants.
For Regina residents, the episode highlights how local bylaws and police decision-making intersect with community values. The police explanation underlines a technical approach: if an application fits the bylaw’s measurable standards, it can be approved irrespective of public sentiment captured in a community survey.
The mosque’s use of weekly permits was framed by its leaders as a way to be responsive to neighbours’ concerns while continuing a short, voluntary Friday practice. For now, the decision stands and police say they will be ready to respond to any public-safety issues that may arise as discussion continues in neighbourhoods across the city.
This story will continue to develop as community groups, city hall and the Regina Police Service respond to questions about enforcement, bylaws and neighbourhood relations.
