A room full of police chiefs acknowledged the current system of investigating allegations of criminal conduct against police is broken.
The RCMP yesterday endorsed a motion passed by the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police last Wednesday to pressure the province to create a civilian-led independent body of officers to investigate police shootings or other serious criminal allegations.
The announcement came one day after RCMP Supt. Wayne Rideout told the Braidwood Inquiry Mounties are not perceived publicly as being able to investigate themselves.
The ongoing inquiry into the death of Robert Dziekanski had placed the actions of four RCMP officers who evaded criminal charges at the mercy of public scrutiny.
Walter Kosteckyj, the lawyer for Dziekanski's mother, wondered why it took so long to raise an obvious solution.
"It just seems like they finally got dragged into modern times, but they were kicking and screaming," he said.
In the past, investigations into criminal allegations against police have been headed by officers in the same department. A retired judge or lawyer could head the proposed investigation unit.
"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," said RCMP Dep. Comm. Garry Bass.
David Eby, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, described the announcement as significant, but added public confidence can only be restored when civilians are charged with all parts of the investigation.
