November 02, 2009
Bill proposes civilian probes of custody deaths
Vancouver Sun
A B.C. member of Parliament is introducing a bill today that would end the RCMP’s power to investigate itself when someone dies or is injured while in custody.
New Democrat Nathan Cullen (Skeena-Bulkley Valley) will introduce a private members’ bill that would create a civilian investigation service to look into cases of death or injury allegedly caused by RCMP officers. The unit would be modelled after other civilian teams like in Ontario, Cullen said.
Now, RCMP officers in many places in Canada, including B.C., have the authority to investigate cases where other RCMP officers are accused of killing or injuring people.
“[We] are attempting to restore public confidence in the RCMP,” Cullen said. “A system where police investigate police is no longer good enough. It raises doubts among the public, and robs RCMP officers of one of their most important assets: public trust.”
Cullen said details about logistics and the team’s makeup would be worked out with the government.
Linda Bush, the mother of Ian Bush, who was shot by an RCMP officer on Oct. 29, 2005, will be on Parliament Hill to support Cullen.
It was Ian Bush’s case that prompted Cullen to take action. Bush, 22, was taken into RCMP custody after he gave officers a false name when they found him holding a beer outside the local hockey rink in Houston.
Bush was later shot inside the Houston RCMP detachment. The incident was investigated by RCMP officers from nearby Prince George. The officer who shot Bush was never charged.
“Right from the very moment after Ian was shot, the officer who shot Ian was treated like the victim [by investigators],” said Bush. “There cannot help but be bias when you are investigating one of your own.”
Police officials themselves have been questioning the RCMP’s investigation practices in recent months. Paul Kennedy, chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP (CPC), released a report in August that found the system “flawed and inconsistent.” Kennedy recommended investigations involving death should be referred to another police force or provincial investigation body.
CPC spokesman Nelson Kalil said Kennedy has seen Cullen’s proposed bill and supports the concept. “He’s supportive of any measures that would enhance the transparency and the integrity of the investigation process,” Kalil said. Still, Cullen’s proposal to create a national investigation team may prove impractical, especially in remote areas, Kalil said.
The RCMP was unavailable Sunday for comment on Cullen’s proposal. However, in September, the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police — which includes B.C. RCMP officials — adopted a proposal to create civilian-led investigation units to examine allegations of serious misconduct. Police officers would still do the investigating, but would do so under civilian leadership.
“It’s a step in the right direction, but they still would have an affinity towards other police officers,” Bush said of the proposal. “I hope we do have a [completely] civilian body. It will bring accountability and boost public confidence in the RCMP.”
