Edmonton police commission chair John McDougall is stepping down after public controversy over his plan to stay on the oversight body until the end of 2026 from Portugal.

McDougall initially announced last Friday that he'd continue as a commissioner despite retiring to Portugal.

On Tuesday, he said "after much reflection over the past few days," he will resign "effective immediately.

"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.