FRESH SALAD FOR SUMMER PAIR PAPAYA WITH SEAFOOD {page 20}
AHOY FILM RIDES
PIRATE WAVE SCENE {page 14}
VANCOUVER
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 www.metronews.ca News worth sharing. TM
Civilian body to oversee police
Impaired. Driving
New office to investigate police-related deaths, serious incidents Government expects body to be operational by end of the year MATT KIELTYKA
@METRONEWS.CA
British Columbia will get a civilian body to investigate policerelated incidents by the end of this year. Solicitor General Shirley Bond introduced Bill 12 in the legislature yesterday, which paves the way for an Independent Investigation Office to be set up — a key recommendation of the Braidwood Commission that looked into the death of Robert Dziekanski. The civilian-led office will be tasked with investigating policerelated incidents involving death or serious harm, and will be able to conduct investigations involving other weighty incidents. Bond said the office will oversee all police in British Columbia, including the RCMP. “I believe it sets a new stan-
dard for civilian-led police investigation and accountability,” Bond announced in the legislature. The body, which will report directly to the attorney general’s office, is expected to be operational by the end of 2011. The government is currently assessing where its office will be, along with budget and staffing requirements. B.C. Civil Liberties Association executive director David Eby said the announcement marks a historic day for the province. “It’s finally happened after years and years of advocacy,” he said. “This is a historic day, especially for the RCMP. This is the first time they’ve fallen under the mandate of a provincial body.” Eby said the BCCLA’s two main concerns seem to have been addressed by making sure the federal police force falls under
the office’s jurisdiction, and by enforcing a transition period for the agency to become completely civilian-led. The biggest challenge now, according to Eby, will be to make sure the office is adequately funded. “If they can’t make it out to incidents, then we’ll be back at police investigating themselves,” he said. Simon Fraser University criminologist Robert Gordon said too much is riding on the plan for the government to short-change the new agency. “It’s a credibility issue,” he said. “It’s important the government is seen not just to be passing this through the legislature, but ensures it flourishes in the coming years.” Both Eby and Gordon said the early success of the office will hinge on who is chosen as the civilian director.
Victor Kaulius holds the urn containing his daughter’s ashes yesterday in Surrey. PHYLICIA TORREVILLAS/FOR METRO
Family demands changes The family of 22-year-old Kassandra Kaulius, who was killed May 3 when she was hit by an alleged drunk driver, held a press conference yesterday calling for tougher drunk-driving laws in the province, including 10-year sentences for drunk driving causing death. Story, page 3.
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