(Vancouver Sun) – Recognizing public calls for increased civilian oversight into police investigations involving police, the RCMP endorses a motion by the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police (BCACP) calling upon the provincial government to create a new independent civilian oversight body.
“The greatest asset that police have across Canada is public confidence that we will do our job professionally, competently and impartially. Anything jeopardizing that confidence needs to be removed and addressed. Civilian oversight of investigations involving police will enhance public confidence and will build on the work the RCMP is already doing,” said RCMP Commissioner William J.S. Elliott.
“Within British Columbia, the RCMP has championed the case for increased civilian involvement when investigating serious incidents involving police officers for a number years,” says Deputy Commissioner Gary Bass, Commanding Officer of the RCMP’s E Division. “When the police investigate other police, especially within the same force, no matter how impartial we strive to be there will always be some public concern about the integrity of that investigation.”
The BCACP resolution calls on the provincial government to create a civilian-led unit for the “Investigation of incidents involving police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person as well as sensitive allegations of police misconduct”. The new body would be separate from the current BC Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner or the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC).
“If creating an independent body to investigate police, that is directly accountable to the provincial government – and by extension all BC residents- promotes public confidence in these investigations, it is in all of our interest to support such an initiative,” says D/Commr. Bass.
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